Flame of my Heart
by hotsodagirl
Summary: A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks? TroyxSharpay, RyanxGabriella, Chapter One Revision up!
1. Screams in the Night

**Flame of my Heart**

**by hotsodagirl**

**Genre: Romance**

**Rating: T for Violence, Alcohol Reference, and some Language**

**Sodagirl Says**: Here is the new, revised edition of my first _published_ High School Musical fanfiction, _Flame of my Heart_! I decided to revise the older chapters of this story because one day I read everything I had written so far in one sitting, and I decided I really didn't like the way I had written these beginning chapters. So I began to rewrite them. Now, if you are a new reader of this fanfiction, the storyline, as well as the way the chapters are set up, may seem a little off, not to mention the rating and summary have both changed throughout the course of this story. If you all will just bear with me, I will have more chapters revised and posted soon and then things will be right.

Of course, it's not as if I made any _major_ changes to the plot. The only things I have changed are the way I have written the story and minor details. For example, in this chapter a bouquet of roses that are supposed to be sent to Gabriella for her and Troy's anniversary are mentioned, but if you continue to read the next chapters you will notice the roses are never brought up again. That's because I just added that in and I will include the roses when I get to that chapter's revision.

If you are a new reader, I just want to say thank you for reading and I hope you'll stick around through the rest of the story modifications and the new chapters I post afterward. If you have already been reading this story, I _also_ want to thank you! Because this story wouldn't be what it is today if it weren't for you. You all have been awesome reviewers and you put the biggest smile on my face when you leave me good and/or long reviews! Seriously, as a high school freshman your reviews are huge compliments to me! So thank you _so much_ for sticking around this whole time and through the rest of the story!

Okay, so again for you new readers or anyone else that just feels like reading this, I'm going to tell you a little bit about the story. There are two main couples – Troypay and Ryella. This story also includes Troyella for the first five chapters and mentioned Chaylor throughout the whole thing, but they're not a major couple. If I continue to write according to my plans, this story should be 25 chapters long, unless I have to stray from those plans like I have had to do in the past. I think there's an ample amount of drama in this story, as well as a plenitude of romance between the couples and sweet brother-sister moments between Ryan and Sharpay. As mentioned above, there is violence, alcohol reference, and a small bit of language (I don't _ever_ cuss, so I only have the characters in my stories do so if I feel it's necessary). The first chapter is kind of short; I don't really know why

And if you couldn't already tell, I tend to talk a lot so I'm sorry if for some reason you hate long author's notes. :P I'm going to go ahead and let you read now, but first I have to say two things. First is the essential disclaimer, which is that I (sadly) do not own High School Musical, its cast (although I wish I owned Lucas Grabeel :D), the phrase "mocha tinted complexion" (my friend wrote this character description of me one time and used that phrase. I loved it so I just had to use it in here), or anything associated with HSM aside from the plot of this or any of my fanfictions. The other important thing to say is that sometimes I get behind on updating due to my advanced classes and such, so you can check out my profile for any news on story updates and other things.

Enjoy the new, revised edition of _Flame of my Heart_!

**Chapter One: Screams in the Night**

Her scream rang out clear in the dark night. It was full of fear – fear of her family, fear of nature, fear of life itself. Such anxiety must be heard, and it flowed into the ears of a certain blue-eyed boy, unconscious at the time, unknowing of the changes that lied ahead of him because of this single noise.

Troy Bolton, awoken by this sudden sound, sat upright in his bed and looked around the room, his eyes not even halfway open. He heard the scream again, so he knew it wasn't a dream. But who? Was it Candice? No, his nine-year-old sister was spending the night at a friend's house on the other side of town, and surely the scream hadn't come from his _mother_. So who could it be?

It was 1:00 a.m., Sunday morning. Basketball star and coach had returned from an extended practice only two hours before, swiftly changing into the more casual and relaxed relationship of father and son. Worn out, exhausted, and weary, Troy had clambered jadedly up the spotless, beige-carpeted staircase and crawled into bed, instantly falling into slumber, dreaming of his brown haired beauty. Gabriella Montez. It was now an hour into their two-month anniversary, and he was sure he could make this the best day of his girlfriend's life. He had planned everything out perfectly - from the bouquet of roses he had already ordered to be delivered at the crack of dawn to the fancy, candle-lit dinner that would conclude the evening. As he leaned back on his pillow and allowed his eyes to slowly begin to shut, his mind wandered off into another realm, where anything he envisioned could become reality. And there she was, sitting across from him above her china plate of fettuccini alfredo with a coquettish smile forming across her glossed, ruby lips. The flame from the single wick that burned steadily in the center of the table danced across her face, lighting up the features on her mocha tinted complexion that were framed by the sleek, auburn hair she twirled instinctively around her fingers. She was beautiful, thoughtful, and extremely accomplished: everything a guy could want in a girlfriend. She was perfect, and she belonged to _him_.

A second scream caused his to jerk upright once more, evaporating the fantasy dinner from his thoughts. There was only one element that remained from that imaginary setting - the shadows cast by the ever-burning flame. Rubbing his eyes, he looked around at his room and noticed for the first time these shadows as they flickered across his walls, light filtering through the transparent window from the outside. Outside. The screams were coming from outside. _'Why didn't I think of that?' _Troy thought, yawning sleepily. He dragged himself out of bed and groggily analyzed the glass pane. Fog had settled over the house, obstructing any possible view of the surrounding neighborhood. The only way to investigate the situation would be to open the window. Unlocking the two latches on either side of the casement, he flexed the noticeable muscles exposed from beneath his white undershirt and slid the oversized transom upward, opening his room to the exterior world. The clean, filtered atmosphere of his sanitary home disappeared as the smoke he had thought to be fog spilled inside, polluting the air as well as his lungs. Gasping for air, he began to cough and looked frantically around for his phone.

Spotting his Verizon Chocolate cell phone across the room, he stumbled across the room to reach it, a million thoughts running through his mind at once. _'What do I do? Call 911. Who lives next door? Who was screaming? What if someone is hurt? What if they're trapped in the fire?'_ His hands shook as he dialed 9-1-1. _'Come on, answer already.'_ At length, an emergency official answered. Troy quickly gave out as much information as he could, his head spinning from lethargy and panic. The only clear notion in his head was that he had to hurry; someone could be in trouble. The instant he was able to hang up, he leaped across the room and ran downstairs in a burst of speed only possible in an urgent situation such as this, shouting for his parents the entire way from bedroom to front lawn.

It would seem that her screams would have been heard by the other neighbors, but fate had a hand in this situation. Every event of her life, as well as his, was a key incident that had led up to this very moment, the single moment that would alter several lives forever, and it would only do to have the basketball superstar be the one to come to the rescue. As it was, Troy was the first individual to seek and aid the broken family that stood before their flame-engulfed house.

She stood next to her brother, their parents standing, strangely unfazed by the scene, behind them. It was no surprise to see a sparkling pink purse on her shoulder, matching perfectly with her pink 'Drama Queen' tank top and identically printed pajama shorts. However, her blonde hair was pulled back into a fairly messy ponytail, an odd sight of the perfectionist. Another uncommon sight were the tears that fell from her dark brown eyes, making a mess of her already smeared make up, as her twin brother put his arm around her and mumbled comforting words in an attempt to calm the frazzled girl.

A perfectionist when it came to his looks, the same as his sister, it was a rare thing to see him in the state he stood. His disheveled blonde hair hung loosely around his face, neither gelled nor under a hat, and he was dressed much more grungily than was the norm. He wore baggy jeans and a white wifebeater, although it was hardly visible under the voluminous coat he wore, buttoned almost to the collar. One under normal circumstances would be curious as to why another would wear such a bulky garment at this time, as it was well into the month of March.

But Troy did not contemplate the reason of his clothing choice, their appearances, or the seemingly indifferent attitude of their parents. He couldn't, simply because the whole ordeal was quite astonishing. She was the last person he had expected to see, and it took a good amount of strength just to speak her name.

"Sharpay?"

**Sodagirl Says**: Okay, so hopefully you will review now if you haven't already, or even if you have! Can you do that? I mean, review a chapter more than once? Well, if you can't but you want to review anyway you can either PM me or include whatever you want to say about the new revision in the next review you do for a brand new chapter, okay? Thanks for reading!


	2. Unwanted Help

Flame of my Heart

by hotsodagirl

Summary: The families had lived next door to each other since their children were toddlers, but rarely did one speak to the other. When disaster strikes, the two families are suddenly living together, trying to understand and endure each other. Will everything fall apart, or will it be starting something new?

Genre: Romance

Rating: K for now, but it may possibly change. Probably not, but it could.

Sodagirl Says: Thank you so much to everyone that reviewed the last chapter! I know I said on Saturday that this one would be up by Sunday or Monday, but I need to point out two very important facts. One is that I do all my revising and editing as I type the chapter up. Believe me, there is a _huge _difference in what I publish online and what is written in my notebook. The other fact is that I'm only allowed on the computer for one hour each day. I wanted to have this chapter up by yesterday but there just wasn't enough time. However, it is here now! To tell you the truth, I reread this chapter and I think it sounded better while I was writing it. Maybe it still seems short. But that's just me. Let me know what you think of it when you review. Be honest, but no flaming! I want to make this story as enjoyable as possible for _you _so if you have any tips or suggestions, speak up! Okay, I'm done talking, you can read it now! And I still don't own High School Musical.

Chapter Two: Unwanted Help

Sharpay's POV

I didn't mean to start the fire. I hear Ryan telling me it's not my fault, but I know he's only trying to make me feel better. We all know it was my fault. I was the one that left the oven on accidentally, and I was the one that left the dishrags nearby. Or rather, I threw the dishrags to the side in an angry fury and they fell on the open flame. But seriously - why _do_ we have wooden countertops, wooden cabinets, wooden everything? I guess it wasn't _completely _my fault. Mom and Dad had been fighting...again. It's hard to remember a time when they got along more often than they fought. Maybe it wasn't the smartest thing to leave the kitchen in such a hazardous state, but my parents _were _still downstairs. They didn't even notice until it was too late. All they could do was wake us up and get us out. I barely had time to grab my purse which, luckily, contained my credit card. At least I could buy new clothes before we had to return to school tomorrow.

"Sharpay! Ryan!"

I turned and was shocked to see Troy Bolton running from the next house over. Yes, Troy Bolton, basketball superstar. The only guy who, along with his whiny little girlfriend, had _ever _beat Ryan and me out for the lead roles in a theater production. Oh, I hated them both with a fiery passion, and they knew it. So exactly _why_ was Troy Bolton coming to see us? Surely he wasn't coming to... to _help_.

"Troy?" Ryan looked just as surprised as I was. "What are you doing here?"

Troy stood next to me and I glared at him, holding back the tears I'd been shedding. I couldn't let him see me crying and I thought, I hoped, maybe he'd get the hint and go away. He didn't.

"I saw the fire so I called 911. A fire truck or something should be here soon." He said, looking over his shoulder to make sure his parents were coming. I crossed my arms and moved closer to Ryan. _'Why won't you go away?'_ I thought while continuing to glare at him. When his parents arrived they spoke to my parents in hushed tones. Despite that, I could still hear about half of their conversation.

"How terrible!" exclaimed Mrs. Bolton.

"We're just grateful we all got out safely," my father said. I rolled my eyes. _'Oh please! Like you even cared about that a few hours ago!'_

"You okay?" Troy asked me.

"Why would you even care?" I snapped at him.

"Well, you're my neighbor."

"Some neighbor. You know, you barely ever talk to us in school, and aside from right now, you've _never _talked to us outside of school. And we've been neighbors since we were three."

"Sharpay-"

"Just don't talk to me, okay?"

He sighed and faced his parents, joining in on their conversation. My mother was going on about something, probably something pointless. I only heard her last words. _"... no place to stay."_

"You can stay at our house." Troy offered. I scoffed and whipped around.

"What! Listen, Bolton, we don't need your hospitality! Why won't you leave us alone?"

"I'm just trying to help!"

"Oh yeah? We don't need your help, okay?"

"Sharpay..." my mother said in a fake-gentle voice that I knew too well. "I hate to break it to you but, if they're willing to give it to us, we _do _need their help."

"Well I don't. And I refuse to stay in the same house at that... that thing!" I declared loudly, nodding to Troy on the word 'thing.' There was no way anyone would convince me to turn to the guy I hated most, even if I had no home. Not that I could call it a home in the first place.

"You don't have a choice," my father said. "Where else are you going to live?" The truth is, I had no idea where I would live. Certainly not with the Boltons! But really, I had nowhere else to go. Ryan squeezed my hand lightly, letting me know it was okay. He had always been there for me. He was the only one who had _ever _been there for me. If he knew everything would be fine, I was confident it would be too. I sighed.

"Fine. I'll go." I glared at Troy one last time. "But only until we can go somewhere else. Don't you _dare_ try to treat us like a charity." In the background, I heard a siren blaring as the fire truck drew nearer. I turned back around to take a last look at the house and felt tears on my cheeks again. I quickly wiped them away and tried to keep any more from coming out.

"You're allowed to cry, Shar." Ryan whispered as he wrapped his arms around me protectively. The tears suddenly poured out like a waterfall as I sobbed into my brother's comforting body. The stress was too much; it sometimes got to be this way. Usually when I needed to cry, I had my own room to go to so no one could see me. At school, I was the 'Ice Queen'. Ice Queens didn't feel pain, everyone knew that. But nobody knew the other side of me, the side of my life at home, the side with alcoholic and occasionally abusive parents. They had ruined everything good in my life, except for my one source of refuge. Ryan. We shared an unspoken bond since the day we were born. My parents could yell at each other, break most of our dishes and belongings, and let the house burn down, but they couldn't take Ryan away from me.

"Ryan?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"Yeah?"

"Will you promise me something?"

"Anything."

"Promise... you'll never leave me. Promise you'll always be there to protect me."

Ryan held me out at arm's length, looking deep into my eyes. "Shar, don't you already know that I'd never leave you?"

"I want to hear you promise it to me."

He nodded and kissed my forehead. "I promise I'll never leave you, and I'll always protect you."

"Thank you," I whispered, "for everything you've ever done for me. You're my brother and... I love you."

"I love you too."

As the fire began to die down, everything seemed to become darker and colder. The cold wind became obvious without the heat of the flames and I shivered, my teeth chattering slightly. Ryan hugged me once more and whispered in my ear. "Now don't forget, Troy Bolton is about ten feet away from us. I say it's about time to fake your Ice Queen attitude on and get us inside before you get too cold."

"Okay." I took a deep breath and wiped away my final tears, putting on a stone face with an icy glare. With my brother by my side I was able to confidently walk up to Troy and talk with a steady voice. "Well, Bolton, the fire's pretty much gone. So why don't you 'be a good neighbor' and take us to your house. I'm getting tired, and if I don't get enough sleep I end up in a bad mood."

Troy raised his eyebrows, acting like he was extremely surprised at something. "Really? _Only _if you don't get enough sleep? I thought you were always in a bad mood."

Pointing at his house, I stepped up so I was no more than three inches from his face. "Take us inside, NOW!" I yelled. Lucky for him, he wasn't stupid enough to disobey. As we followed him inside, I looked around and made a face.

"Ew. Don't tell me you actually _live _in this dump!" Rolling his eyes, he only ignored me and continued to walk through the house. Ryan passed by me, turning to give a quick nod of approval. I smiled at him and took another look around the area. The place actually wasn't half bad. I had expected a lot worse. However, I still didn't see why he was suddenly being so 'neighborly.' I guess it really didn't matter as long as I had a comfortable place to sleep and money to go shopping.

"So where do you want to sleep?" Troy asked, standing in the living room doorway. "My parents will probably let your parents have their room, so besides that you can basically sleep wherever you want. We have couches that can fold out-"

"Couches!" I exclaimed angrily. "I know Ryan will sleep anywhere, but you can't expect _me_ to sleep on a couch!"

"Okay then, princess, what about my sister's room? She's at a friend's house right now but I'm sure she wouldn't mind giving up her bed."

"How big is it?

"It's a full size-"

"No way! That is way too small for my taste."

He gave an exasperated sigh. "We don't have any other rooms besides mine."

"How big is your bed?"

"King size, but don't think-"

"I'll take it!" I interrupted. I ran up the stairs, hearing the two pairs of footsteps behind me.

"Sharpay, wait!" Troy yelled. Being a basketball player, he easily caught up to me and grabbed my wrist. It was pointless to try to get out of his grasp, he was too strong. I tried pulling away anyways, but he wouldn't ease up. I scoffed.

"Let me go!"

"You're not sleeping in my bed!"

"Why not? You're the one that wanted to 'help.'" I said, making quotation marks with my free hand.

"I _am _helping by giving you a place to stay. You should be thankful to be able to sleep on the floor!"

"Aw, boo hoo, too bad I'm not!"

"You are an ungrateful little brat!"

"You said your sister wouldn't mind giving up _her _bed, so why can't you give up yours? If I'm a brat, you're stingy and you're being a bad host!"

I felt his grip tighten and, being an amazing performer, I faked a yelp of pain. My plan worked as he dropped my arm, obviously afraid he'd hurt me. I smirked, waving at him with both hands, and dashed into his room. I heard him start to come after me, but Ryan stopped him, allowing me to shut the door without interference. Coughing, I crossed the room and closed the open window. The smell of smoke permeated the air, and it reminded me once again of everything I'd gone through recently. Sighing, I climbed into his bed. Just as I began to lie down, I noticed a picture frame on the stand next to me. It contained a photo of Troy and Gabriella, taken directly after the first showing of Twinkle Towne. I wrinkled my nose in disgust and placed the frame face-down. Those roles had rightfully belonged to Ryan and I. We had deserved them way more than those two amateurs. Sighing, I fell backwards onto the bed and realized how tired I was. Within a few seconds, I had fallen asleep.

Troy's POV

_"If I'm a brat, you're stingy and you're being a bad host!"_

Sometimes Sharpay Evans could annoy me like no other. I only wanted to help her and her family, but all she could do was whine and complain about every little thing. I held her wrist tighter, ready to give her a piece of my mind, when she yelped in pain. On the inside I told myself, _'Don't fall for it, she's totally faking it!'_ But did I listen to my subconscious? Of course not. Instead of doing the smart thing, I dropped her arm. She smirked, waved, and walked straight into my room. _'Oh no you don't!'_ I thought as I tried to follow her in.

"Troy, wait."

I sighed and leaned against the wall, facing the doorway. "What?"

"Can't you just... let her have the room? It's only one night. She's been through enough already."

"She's been through enough, huh? Why, because she lost all her stuff that 'Daddy' bought for her? Oh, poor little rich girl!" I turned as I yelled at Ryan. "That girl is _the _most spoiled-"

I was just getting ready to rant, but let me tell you, those Evans twins have the biggest tempers I've ever seen. Out of nowhere, Ryan's fist shot out and I heard a loud crack. Suddenly there was a burning pain in the side of my mouth and I felt blood trickling down my chin. When I realized the crack I had heard was my jaw, I was speechless.

"Troy? Ryan? Sharpay?" I could hear my mom calling from the stairs. She appeared seconds later with Dad and the Evans' parents. I heard her gasp before she rushed to my side. "Troy! What happened?"

I looked up at Ryan, only able to glare while I was still at a loss for words. He looked from me to his parents with a fierce look in his eyes that I had never seen before. He muttered something under his breath then stormed into my room. His parents glared at each other and I could easily see where the twins got their attitude and temper.

"I'll sleep in the living room." I said in a monotone voice, standing and pushing past the adults and stepping slowly down the stairs. Before I collapsed on the couch, one thought rang out in my head.

_'What is wrong with this family?'_

Sodagirl Says: Review time! Compared to my old stories, ten reviews for the first chapter is very good for me so please keep reviewing!


	3. Gabriella's Surprise

Flame of my Heart

by hotsodagirl

Summary: The families had lived next door to each other since their children were toddlers, but rarely did one speak to the other. When disaster strikes, the two families are suddenly living together, trying to understand and endure each other. Will everything fall apart, or will it be starting something new?

Genre: Romance

Rating: K for now, but it may possibly change. Probably not, but it could.

Sodagirl Says: Thanks for reviewing! A few days ago when my friend was over, I let her read my story and she wanted to review it. She doesn't have an account so she tried to leave an anonymous review. That was when I figured out that anonymous reviews were blocked for my stories. So now they're unblocked and you can now leave anonymous reviews. Also, I'm sorry this chapter took a while to get up. I didn't get the chance to type anything when my friend was over, and then I had gone to her house the day before so I didn't get anything done then, plus there was the 4th of July weekend and all that, and some days I only typed for about 15 minutes. But still, I said I'd update once a week so at least this got up this week. I have to warn you though, when chapter four is up, I don't think it will be the most interesting chapter, but chapter five is going to be really good and pretty dramatic so wait for that. I think it'll be pretty good so I'm not going to be as lazy about typing the next few chapters up. I'm thinking you all will like it. Anyways, read and review!

Chapter Three: Gabriella's Surprise

Gabriella's POV

"So Troy said he'd be at your house at 9:30?" my best friend, Taylor, asked over the phone. It was 7:25 a.m. and I was grateful to have a friend that woke up as early as I did.

"That's what he said. But he shouldn't even be up until nine so I'm going to go surprise him." I told her while applying my light makeup - just enough to make me look good but not enough to be able to tell I had any on. Turning side to side, I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled. _'Not bad.'_ I had decided to go with a green theme since it was March. I wore a light green sweater with my favorite pair of jeans and a pair of green flip flops. The top layer of my hair was pulled back in a green ribbon while the bottom hung loose, all of it wavy as usual.

"How are you going to surprise him?"

"I'm going to be at his house at eight. Not even his parents will be awake, they don't usually get up till 8:30."

"What about his sister?"

"She's at a friend's house. Anyways, I thought I'd wake him up and make him the same pancakes I made for the Twinkle Towne brunch last month. He _loved _them."

"Aw, that's cute. Just make sure they're all eaten by the time he was _supposed _to pick you up. Otherwise you're not going to be able to get Chad and I on time."

"Don't worry! We'll be there. You know, it's so great that Troy and Chad both asked us out on the same day. Having the same anniversary promises at least one double date every month."

"I know! Hey, are you planning on walking to Troy's house?"

"Yeah."

"In that case, you need to leave soon or you'll be off schedule."

"I will, I'm almost ready. We'll see you later, Tay."

"Okay, bye Gabi!"

I hung up the phone and spritzed myself with what I knew was Troy's favorite perfume on me. _'There, perfect.'_ When I exited my room, my mother rushed over from the kitchen and admired me.

"You look so lovely, honey."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Here," she said as she handed me a breakfast bar. "Eat this on the way over. I don't want you to have to wait to eat until after you've made the pancakes. You're going to need your energy."

I nodded. "I should get going."

"Yes, of course." She hugged me tightly, then led me to the door. "You have a good day, sweetheart. I'm so glad you have a wonderful boyfriend like Troy."

"Me too, Mom." I giggled. "See you later!"

Twenty-five minutes later I was on Troy's doorstep. Since I knew no one would be awake, I pulled from my pocket the house key given to me by the Bolton family two months ago. Quietly, I unlocked the door and entered the house. I walked through the entryway, down the hallway, then tiptoed up the stairs. As I made my way around, I looked around the Bolton home. Something seemed... different. Something was off, somehow, but I couldn't put my finger on it. When I couldn't figure it out, I gave up and went into Troy's room. As expected, he was sound asleep in his bed with the covers pulled up over his head. I crossed the room silently, carefully stepping over bundles of clothes, sports equipment, and who knows what else on his floor. He had a really messy room but no matter how much I insisted he clean it, he refused.

Once I got to the bed, I sat next to him on the bed and shook him gently. "Wake up, Troy," I spoke softly, smiling. I heard a small groan from beneath the blanket, but there was no movement. I shook him a bit harder. "Come on sweetie, it's time to get up."

"Sweetie?" I heard a feminine voice ask. My face fell. _'That is not Troy's voice!'_ I pulled the blanket down and gasped. Troy wasn't even in his bed, but there was a girl. And it wasn't just any girl. It was Sharpay Evans, the girl that hated me most at East High. Everyone else seemed to like me, but for some unknown reason, she despised me. _'Why is Sharpay Evans in my boyfriend's bed?' _The blonde opened her eyes, and her mouth dropped open, as I'm sure mine did. Then we both screamed. I jumped off the bed and landed on a covered bundle on the floor that I would have assumed to be dirty clothes. The bundle moved and I screamed again. From beneath the sheet appeared none other than the Sharpay's twin - Ryan.

"Ow!" he yelled and I quickly stood up.

"Sorry!" I apologized quickly, not forgetting my manners, and dashed out of the room. "Troy!" I yelled.

Troy's POV

In the few hours of sleep I got that night, I somehow was able to convince myself that it had all been a bad dream. But when the sound of screaming woke me up for the second time that morning, I was forced to realize that it wasn't. It had all been real, and I was already stuck too deep. I slowly sat up and yawned. The clock read 8:00 a.m. Unless the screaming stopped soon and everyone decided to keep quiet, I probably wouldn't be getting any more sleep in. Sighing, I closed my eyes and listened carefully. I could hear two screams. One I immediately recognized as the same annoying thing I had heard earlier that morning. But the second one...

"Troy!" I heard a yell from upstairs and I knew who the other voice was.

"Gabriella!" I yelled back as I jumped over the back of the couch. I ran a few steps then slid across the wooden floor, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. She spotted me and started to smile, but only for a split second. Instead, she covered her mouth and hurried down.

"Oh my gosh, Troy! What happened to you?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, picking my girlfriend up and swinging her around. I leaned in for a kiss, but she put her fingers over my lips.

"I'm talking about your face! It's swollen!" she exclaimed, eyes wide with confusion. "The left side looks... bruised. Did you get in a fight or something? You have dried blood on your chin..."

My hand flew up to the side of my face and I winced from the pain of contact. "Um..."

"Troy, what is going on here? Sharpay and Ryan Evans are in your room!"

"It's a long story," I muttered, walking to the small mirror in the hallway to see myself. My face didn't look _too_ bad, but it did look worse than usual. You could definitely tell someone had landed a punch on me.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little." I turned away from the mirror. "So, what are you doing here?" The concerned look on Gabriella's face turned to one of disappointment.

"Don't you know what today is?"

I laughed. "Yeah, Day One of dealing with the terrible two. Did you know that the Evans Twins are even more annoying when they're outside of school? I thought they couldn't get much worse, but I was wrong. I mean, they walk into my house and act like they own the place!"

Gabriella crossed her arms. "Troy! It's our two-month anniversary! How could you forget?"

I gasped. "No no no, I didn't forget! I remembered this morning! Really _early_ this morning."

"But after that you forgot. You had no idea why I was here."

"Well... okay, maybe I forgot, but it's not my fault! It's..." I noticed Sharpay and Ryan at the top of the stairs, leaning on the banister as they whispered to each other, and I pointed. "It's their fault!"

"Why are they even here?"

I sighed. "They live next door and their house burnt down. I know they hate us, or at least Sharpay does, but I couldn't just leave their family out there. I only tried being nice and helpful, but that didn't exactly work. I let them in and 'Miss Drama Queen' demanded the largest bed."

"So you just let her take yours?" my girlfriend asked in disbelief.

"No, I _tried_ to stop her, but she ended up getting her way."

"As usual," she said, pointing out the obvious. "Now tell me how all that ties in with your face."

"Like I said, I tried stopping Sharpay from taking over my room. But SOMEONE," I spoke loudly, causing the twins to look over. "interfered. We kind of got in a fight and..."

I heard Sharpay burst out laughing. "Ryan, you did that?" She high-fived her brother. "Good job!"

Gabriella gaped at them, then at me. "Troy, how long are they going to be here?"

Sharpay's POV

_' "Sharpay, we've settled our differences and we're going to an alcohol support group. Everything is finally okay!" Mom gushed._

_"And we bought a new mansion!" Dad chimed in. "So now we don't have to stay with that dumb Bolton family anymore. Don't worry about helping us move in, you go to the mall and enjoy yourself. Buy anything you want."_

_Ryan ran over, a smile on his face. "Shar, guess what? Troy and Gabriella are dead!"_

_I clapped. "Yay!" '_

It would have been a perfectly good dream if _she_ hadn't woken me up. "Wake up, Troy," she said as she shook me. _'Troy?'_ I thought, still half asleep. _'Troy's dead.'_ I felt her shake harder and I began to feel irritated. _'Who is trying to wake me up? I'm busy celebrating right now...'_ I heard her voice again. "Come on, sweetie, it's time to get up."

"Sweetie?" I asked, confused. I heard a gasp as the blanket was pulled off of me. I opened my eyes, ready to yell at someone, when I saw Gabriella Montez sitting next to me. Naturally, I did the same thing I always do when something bad like this happens. I screamed. She did, too. Then, being the idiot that she is, she jumped off the bed and landed on Ryan, causing him to wake up to a less than pleasant surprise. "Ow!"

"Sorry!" she apologized, as if that would make a difference, before running off, yelling Troy's name. I climbed out of bed and helped my brother stand up.

"What is she doing here?" I questioned. "She's supposed to be dead!"

"Dead?"

"Yes! You told me she and Troy died!"

"I wish. Come on, follow me." He took my arm and led me out of the room to the top of the stairwell. Directly below us stood the two people I had earlier hoped to be deceased. I leaned on the banister and took a closer look.

"Ew, why is Troy's face all bruisy? And _why_ aren't we in our mansion?"

"Mansion? Shar, I think you were just having a really good dream."

I sighed dramatically. "Well I _was_... until that little whiny girl woke me up! Stupid... freaky genius!"

"At least she didn't step on you."

"Oh, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

I sighed again. "But why did she have to wake me up? It's eight in the morning! Why is she even over here this early?"

Ryan shrugged and leaned next to me. We were silent for a moment before he spoke. "Can I ask you something?"

I looked over at him. "Sure."

"Why do you hate Troy and Gabriella so much?"

I scoffed and turned back to staring down the stairs. "Because they took our lead roles in the winter musical! Why else would I hate them?"

"I don't know, it just seems like there's something else."

"There's nothing else, besides the fact that they're both annoying. Especially Gabriella."

I saw Troy look over at us and I rolled my eyes. "You know, Ryan, I really wonder why Troy even invited us to stay here? I mean, we never talk or anything, and ever since he let us in all he can do is complain about how 'horrible' we are. Why does he even want us here?"

"I don't think it really matters. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have anywhere to stay."

I heard Troy mention my name so I listened more closely, only able to hear small fragments of their conversation. _"Miss Drama Queen..." "... let her take..." "...tried to stop her..." "As usual... your face..."_ Suddenly he talked louder, as if he wanted us to hear him.

"...SOMEONE interfered. We kind of got in a fight and..."

Everything clicked in my mind. I looked back to Ryan again and he nodded. The thought of my brother being able to hurt the basketball superstar was enough to send me into a fit of laughter. "Ryan, you did that?" I high-fived him. "Good job!"

Gabriella gaped at us and I glared at her while she asked her boyfriend how long we would be here. _'Not long if I have anything to do with it.'_

"Excuse me!" I called. "Okay, I don't know why you're here, Gabriella, and honestly, I don't really care. However, I didn't get to eat dinner last night due to... well, _certain circumstances_, and I'm a bit hungry. Troy, when do we eat?"

"Whenever," he answered. "I'm about ready to eat, too. I'll go fix something."

"No, Troy, don't worry about it," Gabriella interrupted. "The reason I'm here so early is to make you breakfast for our anniversary. How do pancakes sound to you?"

"The same ones you made for the Twinkle Towne brunch?" he asked. She smiled.

"Actually, those were disgusting." I commented, and Ryan nodded in agreement. "But I guess I could choke one down." Gabriella stared at me, obviously annoyed, and I jerked my head in the direction of the kitchen. "Go on, that garbage isn't going to make itself, you know."

She glared at me, then pulled on Troy's hand. "Let's go."

I stood up straight, getting off the banister, and gave my brother a small push. "We might as well go down there now, too." We had taken three steps when I heard a loud clatter and the breaking of glass coming from inside Troy's parent's room, where I assumed our own parents were staying. I stopped walking and cringed. _'Can't they stop fighting for a single day? We're not even in our own house!'_

"Ryan, what are we going to do?"

He sighed. "Nothing. We're just going to go downstairs and act like we have normal, loving parents."

"But-"

"Shar, just forget about it. I don't want you to worry about this."

"I can't help but worry. What if something really bad happens one day?"

"Nothing bad is going to happen. Now come on." He entwined his fingers with mine and we walked down the stairs together, trying our best to block out all memory of the pain our parents had caused us throughout the years.

Sodagirl Says: Time to review! Getting review alerts in my e-mail always cheers me up and makes me happy so be a nice person and hit the review button:)


	4. Full Capacity

Flame of my Heart

by hotsodagirl

**Summary**: The families had lived next door to each other since their children were toddlers, but rarely did one speak to the other. When disaster strikes, the two families are suddenly living together, trying to understand and endure each other. Will everything fall apart, or will it be starting something new? **By the way, I'm going to change this pretty soon because I want to :D**

**Genre**: Romance/Drama

**Rating**: **I'm changing it to T right now, just in case, but I don't think there will be anything too bad. Just some stuff I have planned in the future, I want to change it now so I don't have to worry about it later.**

**Sodagirl Says**: Thanks everyone for reviewing!

**To my BFF**: I _had_ to change those shoes! Because when we saw them in the movie we were like, ew! But yeah, remember when I told you about the dream part when I was at your house? I was reading my notebook silently and then I started laughing because I forgot I had written that and then I was like "Gabriella died! Whoosh!" Well, Troy too, but I couldn't have it _just_ be Gabriella! "Rainbow cups, or sugar cones?" Now that was funny. Rats you, Reid Jr.! Rats you, Troy, Ryan, and Sharpay Jr.! Blueberry Bagel with Jelly!

**HSMROCKS**: You totally read my mind! I had actually already planned on turning this Troypay and Ryella. Because you're right, no one else can be matched up with Ryan, even though I know some people don't cough It's actually kind of weird why I even agree with it because I don't even like Gabriella. Oh well. Look for them starting to get together around chapter six, I think. And just for a heads up, I'm working on a one-shot right now and it includes a lot of Ryella, plus the Troypay, so look for that in the near future.

**Fangirl44**: Of course, I'm definitely going to explain the whole story with the Evans family. :)

**maddie**: I love Troy and Sharpay together too! Don't worry, they'll be together soon!

**Lalalander13**: I know! I love Ryan and Sharpay's bond too, isn't it so sweet?

**ELM-Tree10**: I agree with everything you said, because Sharpay's my favorite girl(as if that wasn't obvious), Gabriella is annoying, and like I said above, I love how close the Evans twins are.

**TheMissingFrame**: Lol, that's always fun to do, the Suite Life is so funny! Anyways, no they don't fight like that in the movie. That shows how much you watch it, really. But yeah, the drama is always fun. And Sweet Pea is scary. So is your stalker, yint yint! Lol, that was so funny when we called him the other day! And we played Hide and Seek, that was fun too. Blueberry Bagel with Jelly! Jamz

**StoryBee**: Believe me, I know where I'm going with this. The Troypay will be here soon enough.

**xxAnnaxx**: Yes, of course it's going to be a Troypay! That's true, a little Troyella is okay, but not a whole lot. In fact, this chapter hurt me a little at the end because I was feeling a little too much of it. lol, thank you for saying I have a great story! And thank you for leaving a review for all three chapters! That always helps :D No problem for reviewing your story, I love those oneshots! You're a great writer.

**Other reviewers**: _Dracoisalooker76, Shoelace22, _and_ NyKiKsBuTtTt888999 _Much appreciation to ya'll as well!

Anyways, I'm glad everyone enjoyed the last chapter. But, as I warned you, I don't really like this chapter too much. I had to force myself to get out my notebook and pencil each day because I was sure it would be so boring. That's why this chapter took a long time to get posted, even though it is actually pretty short. To tell you the truth, I didn't even know where I was going with this chapter, I just typed whatever I thought of at the moment. And there's a whole lot of conversation, too. I _promise_ I'll make up for the length and the dullness for this in chapter five because it is going to be pretty long, and my best friend and sister know why it's going to be so good! So just get through this short chapter and I'll have chapter five up soon.

Chapter Four: Full Capacity

By noon that day, seven people were piled into one SUV. Troy was at the wheel, Gabriella in the passenger seat next to him. Taylor and Chad sat in the two middle seats behind them, talking quietly to each other as they tried to figure out what was going on. Sharpay and Ryan were in the very back, joined by Troy's little sister, Candi, who was staring at them in awe.

"I can't believe Ryan and Sharpay Evans are staying at my house!" she exclaimed, the first to break the silence that had previously filled the vehicle.

"Me neither." Chad mumbled before he leaned over in his seat to see Troy in the review mirror. "Would someone like to explain why?"

"I told you already, their house burned down." Troy said, not taking his eyes off the road.

"That doesn't really explain why they're here, though, or why they're wearing your clothes." Taylor said.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "It's not like we _want_ to be here, especially not in these clothes. I mean, who wears this?"

"I do." Gabriella waved her hand and the back of the vehicle, not bothering to turn around.

"Exactly my point." Sharpay crossed her arms and looked down at her outfit. "Not to mention this is a _used_ outfit! When we get to the mall, we are going into the first clothes store we see and we are not coming out until Ryan and I are in different outfits." She was clothed in the same top, skirt, and shoes Gabriella had worn on her first day to East High, and Ryan wore jeans, sneakers, and a dark blue long-sleeved shirt, no hat.

Taylor turned around in her seat as she glared at the blonde girl. "Sharpay, I don't know if you know this or not, but the four of us up here are trying to celebrate an anniversary. Troy's mom may have made you come along but that does not put you in charge. We'll be at the mall for an hour, two at the most."

Sharpay let out a long, dramatic sigh and slumped back in her seat. "Whatever. I guess I won't need _too_ much right now. We could always come back, right? Besides, I have back-up clothes in my locker."

This time Gabriella couldn't help but to gape at the back of the vehicle. "You have _clothes_ in your _locker_!" she asked in disbelief. Sharpay nodded.

"Yeah, I do actually. It really comes in handy when your outfit gets ruined. Like say, for example, someone decides to go dump their lunch all over you. Oh wait, you did that already, didn't you?"

Candi gasped. "Gabriella! You dumped your lunch on Sharpay Evans? How could you do such a thing?"

"Did I mention my little sister is obsessed with you two?" Troy asked, his question directed at the Evans twins. "She's been to every one of your theater productions since she was three." Candi grinned enthusiastically at the two.

"It's true! I think you are _so_ fantastic! And you two would have made a way better Arnold and Minnie than my brother and Gabriella did."

"Hey!" Troy and Gabriella yelled in unison.

"You know it's true." Sharpay said, earning a glare from the front of the vehicle. She rolled her eyes again and directed her attention out the window.

"The first day we've actually been able to spend time together in a month, and _they_ have to be here." Taylor complained, leaning her head back on the headrest.

"I wish we all had more time to spend together," Gabriella whined, "but we don't. Basketball practice always comes first before our relationships, doesn't it?"

Troy shot a sideways glance at his girlfriend. "Gabi, there's nothing we can do about that. We didn't become champions by skipping practice every day."

"Oh really?" she retorted. "I seem to remember a time back in January when you didn't _mind_ skipping practice to come see me. Now we never get any time together aside from lunch and homeroom."

"You girls really need to stop that." Chad said, jumping into the conversation. "It's not just our practices. We don't have them every day, you know. But on the days that we don't, you two always have to do some 'smart people' thing."

Taylor scoffed. "At least we're still _having_ Scholastic Decathlon competitions! Basketball season ended two months ago. What's your excuse for that?"

"Practice makes perfect?" Troy offered. Gabriella and Taylor sighed in exasperation as the vehicle went back into an awkward silence. In the back, Sharpay and Ryan turned to each other and shared a knowing look. _'Well, well, well, it looks like the perfect couple isn't so perfect after all.'_ Sharpay thought as Troy came to a stop in the parking lot. She quickly threw open the door and pulled her brother out, giving the group a fake smile.

"So, we'll meet up at the food court around two-ish?" Not waiting for a reply, she continued on. "Great, we'll see you then. And Gabriella, you might want to consider a fashion makeover." When she received another glare, she wiggled her fingers and flipped her hair over her shoulders. "Toodles!"

As the twins walked away, Candi sighed and looked towards the group. "They are _so_ cool!" she exclaimed, making everyone groan, Gabriella the loudest.

"This is going to be a long day, isn't it?"

Eight long hours later, Troy stood with his girlfriend on her doorstep, leaning against the brick wall. Chad and Taylor had already been dropped off, which left only Gabriella to say goodbye to before he would have to go home. The day had gone by slowly and painfully, and not just because of Sharpay. After the couples' small argument, things had been a little awkward. The topic was brought up again and again, each time ending with a hurtful comment or someone walking away. Troy knew if he didn't say something now, everyone would still be mad the next day.

"Gabriella... I'm really sorry about today." he apologized. She leaned on the wall opposite him, her arms crossed.

"Which part, your neighbors or your attitude?"

Troy ran his hand backwards through his hair, a small smile on his face. "Well I meant my attitude, but now that you mention it..."

Gabriella shook her head. "There's nothing you can do about them, I guess."

"Yeah... there's not really anything I can do about basketball either."

"Or the Scholastic Decathlon."

"Believe me, if there was something I could do about our schedules to make it so we could be together all the time, I would do it. I would do anything for you." He reached out and stroked her cheek, an action that caused her to smile for the first time that evening.

"I know you would, Troy. I love you." Their faces drew closer to each other, and just as their lips were about to meet, the car horn blared loudly. They jumped apart and looked over to see Candi sitting in the driver's seat.

"Sharpay and Ryan are ready to go, which means I'm ready to go!" she shouted, jumping back into the passenger's seat. Troy sighed, then looked back to Gabriella.

"I guess that means I have to go. I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay?" She nodded in response and gave a small wave.

"Bye, Troy."

"Goodbye." He turned and walked off to the car, leaving her alone with a sad look on her face. Somehow in her heart, she knew things would never be the same again.

**Sodagirl Says**: And she's probably right, isn't she? Of course she is! And in my mind I say 'Go Candi!' because we just can't let Troy and Gabriella kiss, can we? That is not allowed, lol! Anyways, please review! I don't want to have to beg, but please please please leave something! Even if it's just "Update soon", that's better than nothing. The next chapter will be up very very soon! And once again, I am so sorry this chapter was extremely stupid, but I had to get it out of the way. Forgive me:P I promise you'll like the next few chapters, unless you're a huge Troyella fan. They're about to go through some tough times so don't expect them to stay together for long.

By the way, mucho big thanks to my sister, TheMissingFrame, for buying me magazines today! The latest Popstar is the best one because it has that poster in the back and the yearbook in the middle, and it has the most pictures of Lucas Grabeel! But seriously, how come there's hardly ever any pics of him in the magazines? Him and Zac are the cutest ones! We see Zac everywhere, but never Lucas:( Anyways, go ahead and review now, I just had to thank her for buying me magazines because I _love_ magazines! You're awesome:D


	5. The Big Break Up

Flame of my Heart

by hotsodagirl

**Summary**: A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre**: Romance/Drama

**Rating**: T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says:** Again, I always love the reviews!

**zashly 358**: Well I don't want you to faint, so here's the chapter!

**Troypayfan**: Oh my gosh, thank you! I love it when people leave really long reviews and your review made me so so happy! Seriously, that is one of the best reviews I have ever gotten. Even though some people say it isn't true, for me flattery will get you _everywhere_! I'm glad you like my story so much, and believe me, you'll like it even more after this chapter! And yes, Sharpay and Ryan _are_ so cool! You are so great!

**bop2theTOP**: Yeah, I used to think Gabriella was _okay_, but then she got annoying, and I can't stand her with Troy. Sharpay _is_ awesome, and she is so much better for him!

**xxxAnnaxxx**: I have a sister, but we both wish we had a brother. But yeah, you're right, there has to be _some_ Troyella. I'm a big Troypay fan though, if you couldn't tell :D Thanks for reviewing!

**My BFF**: Thanks for finally reviewing! Yeah, our inside jokes are funny, aren't they? And here is chapter five! Yay me claps

**Anti Cel**: Thanks! Yeah, Go Candi and Ryan! I hope you enjoy this story!

**Other reviewers**: _NyKiKsBuTtTt888999_, _Dragonskin Fool_, _ELM-Tree10_, _Shoelace22_

Okay, now for all my author's notes. Here is the much awaited chapter five! If the title doesn't tell you what at least part of this chapter is about, you're a tad slow. No offense, but considering I said Troy and Gabriella would be going through some stuff, the title should tip you off. Anyways, I just thought I'd share that this chapter wasn't originally anywhere near this long. Like, once you get past Gabriella's diary entry, everything after that was my original idea for chapter five. But then I wanted to add this other stuff and it grew and grew until it got to be this. I would like to thank James Blunt for being my musical inspiration for this chapter. lol, I was listening to his CD while typing this and revising it so I wanted to give my appreciation. And of course, a whole bunch of appreiciation goes to all you readers, especially the ones that review! Love to you all!

Oh yeah, I have to do a little bit of warning here. In this chapter there is slight mention of violence and blood, so heads up for that. It also includes two flashbacks of the night of the fire, in Sharpay and Ryan's perspectives, an IM conversation with really bad grammar/puntcuation/spelling, more of Candi's obsessiveness, and our first look at a great Troypay moment! Yay for the Troypay! And if you don't cry _at least_ once during this chapter... I guess you're just not super duper emotional like me and my BFF are because we cry at everything:D On with the story!

Chapter Five: The Big Break Up

Troy's POV

"Wake up, sleepy head!"

I was awakened Monday morning to the little sister shaking me violently and yelling in my ear. Shoving her away, I pulled the blanket up over my head and mumbled, "Go away."

"Troy!" she whined. When I didn't give her a reply, she was silent for a moment. I should have known she was up to something, but I was too tired to worry about it. It only became a problem when I figured out she had grabbed a pillow and began using it to whack me senseless.

"Wake. Up. Wake. Up." she said repeatedly, hitting my head between each word.

"Ow! Okay, I'm awake. Candi, stop!" I held my hand out, trying to stop the incessant beating. "I said I'm awake!" She giggled while continuing to bring the pillow down on me again and again. Jumping on top of me, she started smacking me with all her strength. "Candi! Somebody help!"

I heard laughter coming from the direction of the hallway. "Alright, Candi, I think your brother's awake now. Why don't you head on upstairs and get ready for school?"

"Okay!" she yelled enthusiastically, throwing the pillow at my head one last time before hopping onto the ground and skipping out of the room. Of course, with my luck, the voice that had 'saved' me belonged to the blonde girl that had permanently taken over my room.

"For a basketball champion, you're actually pretty weak." Sharpay said as she walked to the side of the couch and sat on the armrest.

"Yeah, my sister is a strong one, isn't she?" I joked as I reached up and stretched. Standing, I pulled the blankets off my temporary sleeping place and tried to fold one of them.

"Don't forget about that nice bruise my brother gave you." she remarked. "How's that feeling?"

"Better. It doesn't hurt anymore unless you-" She put her arm out and pushed on the side of my jaw. I winced from the pain and pushed her hand away. "Ow! Unless you do _that_!"

She gave a half smile and took the blanket I was struggling with. In about fifteen seconds she had all the blankets folded and stacked in a neat pile next to the coffee table. I nodded in approval.

"Impressive. Sharpay Evans knows how to fold blankets." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah, that's my hidden talent," she said sarcastically. "Anyways, I came in here to tell you that your mom is almost done making breakfast, but you were still asleep so I let Candi handle it."

"Thanks for that, I think she might have given me a concussion or something." I held my hands to my temples and acted like I was in immeasurable pain. She laughed and I dropped my arms to my side. "So what's my mom making?"

"I don't know, but it smells good. Your mom is a really good cook, you know that? Dinner last night was amazing."

"Yeah, my mom is..." I trailed off and gave her a confused look.

"What?" she asked.

"Why aren't you being mean?"

She crossed her arms. "Since when am I not allowed to be nice?"

"Since the day I met you." I raised my eyebrows in question and she looked away.

"Ryan and I were talking last night and he _suggested_ I try to be nicer to you because of all that you've done for us," she explained, moving her gaze around the room but never making eye contact with me. "So I guess... I mean, I'm... what I'm trying to say is..."

I tried not to laugh at her ineffective attempt at an apology, but I couldn't help it. She glared at me, but I could still see a small smile on her lips. "I haven't had a lot of experience with these things, okay, Bolton?"

I put my right hand under her chin and made her keep her eyes on me. "I accept your apology, Sharpay," She nodded and I continued on. "And I'm sorry for calling you a 'poor spoiled rich girl'."

She tilted her head slightly. "You never said that."

"Right, you weren't there. I said that about you to your brother and..." I pointed to my jaw with my left hand and she laughed.

"Sorry about that," she apologized. It seemed to be easier for her to express her regret when it was for something she hadn't done. "Ryan can get really over-protective when it comes to me sometimes."

"Yeah, I found that out the hard way."

For a moment, neither of us said a word. Time seemed to pass slowly as we looked into each other's eyes. I felt a spark inside of me, then something happened. The girl sitting next to me looked so... different. Different than the girl I thought I knew. For the first time in my life, I could see the real Sharpay Evans, if only for a millisecond. There was no Ice Queen, no fake attitudes, no one else to influence us. There was only me... and her, with a genuine smile on her face instead of that false smile she displayed every day at school. I was suddenly seeing another side to the cold-hearted girl I had known for so long.

"Sharpay!" Ryan called from down the hall. My hand fell to the couch and we broke eye contact just as her brother walked into the room. "Mom wants you to come eat" he said. He took her hand, helped her up, and the two strolled towards the kitchen. Just before Sharpay exited through the doorway, she turned her head and flashed me one last cute smile. Then she was gone. _'I'm getting hungry, too.'_ I thought. I picked the blankets up off the floor and started for the closet. Halfway there, I froze.

_'Wait... did I just say Sharpay was cute?'_

Sharpay's POV

"That took you a while." Ryan commented once we were out of the room.

"I was just being nice, like you told me to," I responded, giving him a little smile. "So, you hit Troy for calling me spoiled?" He pointed at me.

"Hey, no one messes with my sister." I grinned and gave him a quick hug.

"Thanks, Ry. That really means a lot. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you. You mean the world to me."

"Anything for you, Shar." He put his arm around my shoulders and kissed the side of my forehead. "Come on, let's get some breakfast."

"What are we having anyways?" I asked. He shrugged and led me into the kitchen, where the adults already sat at the table eating.

"Good morning Mom, good morning Daddy," I greeted my parents. Unsurprisingly, neither of them said a word. I grabbed a plate from the stack on the counter and filled it with food. **(a/n: I don't know what they're having, so you can imagine whatever you want them to be eating. But it has to include something you can cook like sausage or something.)** Ryan already had his food, so I joined him at the table, along with our parents. A little bit later, Troy came running into the kitchen, Candi on his back.

"Morning, everyone!" he said as he crouched down and let his sister set her feet on solid ground.

"Good morning, Troy!" Mrs. Bolton called from the stove. I sighed and pushed my food around my plate. _'Sometimes I envy Troy Bolton. He seems pretty close to his parents. Me? I've only got Ryan.'_

"Have you had enough, Sharpay?" Troy's mother asked, noticing my halt of food consumption.

"Um... yeah." I answered, my stomach beginning to twist in a knot. _'Here we go again'_ I thought. I handed my plate to the woman and backed out towards the door. "I'm going to get my things and check my hair and... stuff." I excused myself before dashing out of the room, up the stairs, and into Troy's bedroom. Once inside, I leaned against the door and took a few deep breaths. _'Don't worry, don't worry... Ryan told you not to worry, so don't freak out about this. Just stop thinking about it. Because every time you get into a panic mode like this, you get to thinking about it too much and then you only freak yourself out more. Mom and Dad are always fighting. That's why you're here, remember?'_

Flashback

_-Late Saturday Night-_

A crash sounded from the living room and I bit my lip, wondering which trophy they had broken this time. That seemed to be my parents' new hobby - destroying everything Ryan and I had earned, destroying any breakable gifts we had given in the past, destroying every dish we owned. I stirred the noodles on the stove as they boiled and tried to ignore the vulgar argument taking place in the next room over. The effort was futile. I was surprised none of the neighbors had ever called to issue a complaint. I knew that if _I_ had to put up with this racket every day... wait, I _did_ have to put up with it every day. And yet there was nothing I could do about it.

I set down the wooden spoon I was using and clutched my stomach. Every time my parents had started fighting recently, I would get this horrible feeling in my stomach. I had no idea what it was, but each time it seemed to get worse. It would eventually get to the point where I could hardly breathe and I felt like I was going to throw up. I wasn't there yet, but I could feel it coming on. I slumped down to the floor and hid my face in my knees. _'How can they do this? Don't they know how much pain this is causing me?' _I cried silently, trying to be unnoticeable to my parents. The last thing I needed was for one of them to see me like this. If anything, there was only one person I wanted to be nearby.

"Shar?" I looked up and saw Ryan standing next to me, a concerned look on his face. He wore a white wife beater and a pair of jeans, clothes he only wore around the house. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I lied, trying to make my voice sound perky. He brushed his hand across my cheeks, wiping away my tears.

"Nothing? If it's nothing, why are you crying?" he asked. I sighed and started to walk away from him, knocking over a glass of water as I turned. Cringing, I grabbed a few dish towels and cleaned up the small mess.

"I'm fine, Ry, I just... I'm not feeling well." I said, rubbing my hands on one of the towels to dry them.

"If something's bothering you, you can tell me."

"I know, it's just that-" I heard another crash and I huffed. I threw the towels to the side and stormed out of the kitchen, knowing my brother was right behind me. "Why can't you two ever stop fighting!" I screamed at my parents.

My father strode up to me. "You don't talk to us like that!"

I glared at him through tears. "Like what? You two are always fighting! The way I talk to you is _nothing _compared to the way you talk to each other! You're ruining my life! I hate you!" He raised his hand to strike me and I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the impact. But it never came. He grunted and I looked to see Ryan had grabbed his arm and twisted it backwards. He elbowed my brother in the stomach, threw him to the ground, and started kicking him.

"Stop it!" I shrieked. My father looked over and came after me again. Somehow Ryan was able to get up and tackle him to the ground.

"Don't touch her!" he yelled, pummeling him with his fists. He was flipped over and pinned to the ground by our father's strong arms, who in turn reached out and grabbed a shattered piece of glass.

"Ryan!" I cried in vain. The sharp fragment cut through his shirt and across his stomach twice. It soon shifted to his arms and added more red lines to the multiple scars that already resided there. Then it was thrown to the side, and my brother was jerked up from the ground and shoved in my direction.

"Both of you get upstairs, right now!" our father instructed. I draped Ryan's arm over my shoulders, put my arm around his waist, and helped him walk across the room and upstairs into my bedroom. I lied him down on my bed and ran into my bathroom, grabbing the bandages I had set on the sink for easy access. I quickly had his fresh wounds covered and I tried to keep myself under control. It had gone down much like the other times. Dad had tried to hurt me; Ryan defended me, but ended up getting hurt. You would think through all the times we had been through this, it would get easier. But it only felt worse every time I was forced to watch it. My heart ached and I buried my face in the sheets as I began sobbing uncontrollably. I felt my brother stroke my hair slowly, trying to get me to settle down.

"Shar, it's okay. I'm fine, really. It's not like this is the first time Dad's beat on me," he said, trying to make me feel better. It didn't really help.

"Why does he do this?" I whispered, tilting my head up as I tried to restrain my tears. He was silent while he thought.

"I don't know. He gets mad too easy. He's under the influence of alcohol. He can't control himself."

"He could if he just stopped drinking! If he would-"

"Shar," he interrupted me. "Don't do this to yourself. Our parents are never going to change and there's not anything we can do about it." He took my hand and squeezed it lightly. Being twins, I knew what he was trying to say. We had done this ever since the first time we saw our father's _true_ anger when we were five. Luckily, he didn't get mad as much back then. Still, it had happened, and I always depended on him from that day forward. I stood and carefully climbed over Ryan, making sure not to hurt him. Lying next to him, he took me in his arms and I felt protected - protected from our father and everything else in the world. Neither of us said another word, we only lied in silence. Within a few minutes, I knew he was asleep and I closed my eyes, drifting into the numb and peaceful darkness of slumber.

End Flashback

Ryan's POV

_"I'm going to get my things and check my hair and... stuff."_

Sharpay ran out of the kitchen and Troy looked at me. "What's with her?"

I shook my head and got up from the table. "That was very good, Mrs. Bolton, but I think I'm done too." She took my plate and I slipped out the doorway, following the path I knew Sharpay had taken down the hall and up the stairs. I listened at Troy's door, but I heard nothing. "Sharpay?"

"Ryan?"

"Are you okay?" I asked, worried when I didn't receive a reply. "Shar?"

The door opened and she motioned for me to come inside. She peeked out the door to make sure no one else was around, then shut it and locked it. We sat next to each other on the unmade bed and I put my hand on top of hers. She was shaking like a leaf.

"Ryan, I don't know what's happening to me. You know that I get stressed out really easily, right?" I nodded. "Lately when I feel stressed out like that, something happens. I get all shaky like this and I feel like I'm going to throw up. Sometimes I can't even breathe. And right now I have the worst feeling in my stomach. Something's wrong, I just know it."

I pulled my sister into an embrace. "I think the problem is you're just _too_ stressed out. Nothing bad is going to happen. And if something does..."

"...I've always got you." she finished for me.

Flashback

_-1:00 a.m., Sunday morning-_

"Get up," our father's voice said, removing us from the sanctuary we call sleep. Sharpay sat up, rubbed her eyes, then started coughing.

"What's-" she coughed again. "What's going on?"

"You left the stove on, that's what's going on. Then you left towels everywhere; that was a nice touch! And now, thanks to you the kitchen's completely on fire and it's spreading fast, so get out of bed and get outside!" he looked at her irately, a look we both knew. He grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and yanked her across the bed. She screamed. "Do you know what your stupidity is causing us?" he yelled, shaking her hard.

"Hey!" I jumped up and shoved him to the floor. "I told you not to touch her!"

He slowly stood up, looking even more furious. "If this weren't an emergency situation, you would be in huge trouble." He started to leave, but then turned back around. "And you really need to watch what you say to me. Because if one day I can't control myself and something happens to you, who's gonna be there to protect her?" With that, he sneered and walked away. Once I was sure he was gone, I helped Sharpay up off the bed.

"Come on, let's go." When we were outside the room, she stopped, then ran off into my room. "Sharpay!"

She emerged within a few seconds and threw a jacket at me. I knew what she was trying to say - someone outside, one of our neighbors, was bound to see my injuries. I slipped it on and we ran in the opposite direction together, a flame-covered plank just barely missing us on our way down the stairs. The sound of the splintering wood made her scream again. Once outside, we got a good look for the first time at the place we called home. The fire had spread through almost the entire house by now. Sharpay screamed a third time, tears streaming down her face.

"Oh my gosh..." she said softly, so softly it was barely audible, and she covered her mouth.

"Shar... it's okay. Don't freak out."

"Don't freak out! Ryan! I destroyed our house!"

I put my arm around her shoulders. "No, you didn't. You don't need to listen to anything Dad says. We were upstairs, there's nothing you could have done. This is not your fault." My voice sounded calm and reassuring, but inside I was a mixture of emotions. I was scared, worried, confused, but mostly I was enraged. Our father, Michael Evans... I hated him. Both our parents were drunk more than necessary, but he was the one that let his anger out on _other people _when it happened. Other people like his kids. Usually I was able to stop him from hurting Sharpay physically, but I knew the sight of him beating on me always harmed her on the inside.

Somehow, we had been able to keep it a secret. I always wore long sleeves to school and neither of us ever spoke a word of our broken lifestyle. We had gotten into the habit of keeping silent the first time it had happened - over ten years ago. He had been mad about something and had a few drinks. That was back before they were always drinking, but even then he didn't know when he had devoured one too many glasses. I remember he went after Sharpay first, chasing her all around the house. She was able to avoid him for a while, but got trapped when she ran into the bathroom. In his fury, Dad knocked everything of the counter, including the curling iron Mom had left on. It collided with her arm, leaving a permanent mark on her right arm. When I heard her agonizing wails, I attacked my father. That probably wasn't the brightest decision for a five year old boy to make, but I wasn't thinking about myself that night. My only thoughts were of protecting my little sister. He didn't hurt her again that night, but he practically killed me. After he had left, Mom was the one to bandage me up and nurse me back to health. I think that was the only time she ever did. When she put me and Sharpay to bed that night, she made us promise we wouldn't tell anyone about what our father had done. Someone would end up calling child abuse, and we'd be taken away from our parents. More than likely my sister and I would be split up as well. She kissed us goodnight and left us both in my room after Sharpay insisted to stay with me. The excruciating pain of my first beating was torture for me, and I moaned in anguish all throughout the night. But I wasn't alone. It was only about five minutes before I saw the dark outline of my sister as she stood and came to my side.

"Ryan? Are you okay?" her small voice asked tearfully. Although any movement would send a severe jolt through my body, I took her hand reassuringly.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. But listen to me, Shar. I will never let him hurt you like this. I promise."

"I'm scared," she whimpered. "I don't want him to hurt either of us."

I pulled on her hand; she squeezed into the twin bed and embraced me, an action that I quickly returned. As painful as it was to hold her, it was even more painful to imagine her having to go through this. That's why I promised both her and myself that I would never let Dad beat her. A few times over the years he was able to hurt her a little, but I didn't allow him to ever go as far as he did with me.

"Sharpay! Ryan!" Troy's voice pulled me out of my memories and back to that blazing house...

End Flashback

There was a knock on the door and Sharpay stood. "Who is it and what do you want?" she demanded.

"It's Troy, and we have to leave for school in five minutes."

"We'll be right out!" she called, reaching down to grab her purse and messenger bag. From inside her purse, she withdrew a compact mirror and held it out at an arm's length as she tried to check her hair and make-up. I took it from her hands and shut it closed.

"Don't worry; you look fabulous as always, little sister." She scoffed at my comment, a smile on her face.

"Five minutes, Ryan Stephen Evans! You are only five minutes older than me!"

"And don't you forget it." I poked her in the side, her ticklish spot, and she squealed. I laughed, running out of the room, and I heard her chase after me. We quickly got downstairs and to the garage, where the Troy and his sister were waiting. As seemed to be her custom, Candi stared and sighed in admiration.

"You guys are so cool!" she said for about the millionth time since we met her. "And you're so close, too. I'm jealous!"

At that, Sharpay simply smiled and said, "Well, everyone's jealous of something that someone else has. Even me."

_Gabriella's Diary_

_Dear Diary,_

_Today didn't go so well, but then neither did yesterday. It all started when Troy picked me up to take me to school. Of course, there sat his annoying houseguests. I guess Ryan's not so bad; it's Sharpay that really bugs me. She just thinks she's the best thing in the world, but she's not. After all, who got the lead role in the winter musical? I did, not her. And she's the one who's been in all those productions and had all that training. It goes to show who's really on top. And believe me, I've tried being nice to her. It doesn't work. So we usually try to avoid each other. Naturally, everybody started staring when Troy and I showed up at school with the Evans twins. I hate it when people stare at me._

_It would have been nice if we could just dump them and go about our normal day, but for some reason Troy seemed to actually want to hang out with them. Weird, huh? He kept trying to tell me this crap all day about Sharpay actually being a nice, normal person. I have no idea what's gotten into him. Anyone with eyes can see that she's evil. What could possibly make him even begin to think she's nice? But that makes me think - if Sharpay was nice, no girl would have a chance against her. She could probably get any guy she wanted, even -dare I say- Troy. Oh well, this is crazy talk. Sharpay, nice? As if! Every time Troy tried talking to her today, she either ignored him or made some kind of rude remark. If that's supposed to be nice, what does my boyfriend think mean is?_

_Anyways, I should get going. Taylor's over and she's spending the night while her parents are on a business trip, so we need to buy some snacks and go to Blockbuster. We're having a musical night, so expect the greatest!_

_xoxo,_

_Gabriella_

Troy's POV

When we got home that afternoon, I found a note on the table from my mom. It read, _'Troy, I have to work late tonight and your father's out with his friends. Since there are four of you kids there, I want you and Sharpay to make dinner and have Candi and Ryan clean the house. Claire and Michael will be home around seven, so make sure the food's ready and the house is clean by then. I should be back before ten, call me on my cell if you need anything! Love, Mom'_

Candi looked up at me in question. "What does it say?"

"Basically, me and Sharpay are making dinner and you and Ryan are doing chores," I explained. A grin broke out across her face.

"I've never been so excited to clean in my entire life!" She attached herself to Ryan's arm and pulled him off into another section of the house. Sharpay giggled.

"Your sister's sweet." She paused and added, "In an obsessive sort of way." I nodded in agreement and walked to the kitchen. "So what are we making?" she asked.

"I don't know, what do you want to make?" She shrugged.

"I don't care, you choose. I'll make whatever."

I leaned against the refrigerator door and gave her an annoyed look. "What is up with you? This morning you were all nice, then we get to school and you're mean. Now suddenly you're acting civil again?"

She started looking through the pantry to see what kind of food we had. I took it as a sign that she was ignoring me. Once she finished rummaging through that area, she stood in front of me and crossed her arms. "Can you move?" she asked. "I need to see if you have anything in your freezer."

"Don't change the subject, Sharpay. Why do you put on an act at school? I know that Ice Queen thing isn't who you really are. What are you so afraid of?"

She glared at me, but I could see the worry in her eyes. "Stop pretending like you can see right through me, Bolton. You don't know anything about my life."

"And why is that? You won't open yourself up to anyone but your brother. Why won't you show anyone else who you really are?"

She looked away, but I could see her eyes start to water. "I... can't. I just can't."

"Why not?"

She paused, and was quiet when she spoke again. "When everyone thinks I have no feelings, no problems... it's easier to fool myself into believing I really don't have anything wrong with me."

I thought about what she said. It was true; we all thought she was unfeeling. She didn't seem to have any problems. She acted like she had her life under control. But I realized that's all it was - an act. Underneath it all, there must have always been something else. Something that forced her to act the way she did. Now, more than ever, I wanted to know what that thing was.

"Sharpay..."

She shook her head. "Don't even concern yourself about it, Troy. We need to make dinner."

This time, I moved out of her way. Although I didn't bother her about it again, the subject was on my mind for the next three hours while we prepared the meal. Thinking back on the past two days, I figured it had something to do with her family. There was something weird about her relationship with her parents, and how close she and Ryan were. I knew one day Sharpay would tell me what was going on. She had to. These things just happen when two families are living together.

What I didn't know at the time was that day would come a lot sooner than I thought. In fact, it had already arrived.

Sharpay's POV

At 6:45 p.m., Troy and I were almost finished making dinner. Over the hours, we had talked about a lot of different things - school, theater, basketball, our friends, pretty much any safe topic you could think of. I appreciated the fact that Troy didn't bring up the conversation we had gone through when we began cooking the meal. I knew I would have to tell him the truth about my family sooner or later. After all, we were living in the same house. Something was bound to happen one of these days, and I would be forced to reveal the secret side of my life to him. I had hoped we could put that discussion off until later, but unfortunately the things I hoped for didn't usually come true.

A bit earlier, we had decided to make rolls, but there wasn't anything to make them with. We sent Ryan and Candi, who had already finished cleaning, to the grocery store to get some from the bakery. So when we heard the front door open, we assumed they were back. But instead of the sound of the little girl's laugh and another, "You're so cool!" there was the sound of yelling. My parents' yelling. I cringed when I heard my father's voice roar across the house. "Ryan! Sharpay! We need to talk to you!"

I ran to the entryway, Troy at my heels. My father glared at him and asked me, "Where's your brother?"

"He and Troy's sister went to get something from the store." I answered obediently, giving my father a once-over glance. He didn't appear to be drunk, just really mad. My mother stood behind him, tear streaks lining her face. _'What's going on?'_ I thought.

My father, his eyes still on Troy, waved in the direction of the stairs. "We need to talk to our daughter alone."

My eyes widened in fear. "But what about Ryan?"

"We'll talk to him when he gets home," my father said. I looked to my mother and she gave a sad smile.

"It's okay, Sharpay. We're just going to talk. Troy, if you don't mind?" He nodded at her and went upstairs, shutting himself into his room. My eyes followed him as he moved along, hoping with every step he'd turn around and come protect me. But I knew he wouldn't. He didn't know what my father might do. My parents led me into the living room and sat me down on a couch.

"Sharpay," my father started. "There's something I need to tell you."

Troy's POV

Once I was into my room, I really didn't know what to do. Something was obviously happening, but there wasn't really anything I could do about it. I sat on my bed and thought for a moment. While I thought, my eyes scanned the room and landed on my phone. I opened it, and I saw I had a text message. _'Troy, get on IM when u get this luv Gabi'_ Weird. Why didn't she just call me? I turned on my computer and signed on. A message popped up before I got the chance to click on anything.

**freakymathgrl:** hey troy :)

**Wildcatchamp:** hey gabi, wats up

**freakymathgrl:** not much hey turn ur webcam on i want 2 see u

**Wildcatchamp:** ok its on, y did u want me 2 come on here U could have just called. U look cute, btw

**freakymathgrl:** my phone was dying I only had time 2 txt you b4 it ran out of battery. thanx so do u

**Wildcatchamp:** O. thanx 2 u too

**freakymathgrl:** well I'm glad 2 see ur finally alone wheres sharpay

**Wildcatchamp:** downstairs her parents came home and were all mad/sad looking and they said they wanted 2 talk 2 her alone

**freakymathgrl:** so is she being "nice" now, like u've been trying to tell me all day long?

**Wildcatchamp:** gabi im serious there's another side 2 sharpay. there's some secret that I can tell her family is hiding

**freakymathgrl:** ya, whatevr. O, taylor says hi

**Wildcatchamp:** hi back

**freakymathgrl:** so what r u up 2

**Wildcatchamp:** nm, just makin dinner before the evans parents got home

**freakymathgrl:** ooh, my little chef 3

**Wildcatchamp:** ya, 2 bad I suck at it lol I think me and sharpay probably ruined it

**freakymathgrl:** U and sharpay?

**Wildcatchamp:** mom made us make dinner 2gether while candi & ryan cleaned. she is so obsessed

**freakymathgrl:** i dont no y

**Wildcatchamp:** theyr not so bad

**freakymathgrl:** correction, ryans not so bad, sharpays evil :B

**Wildcatchamp:** sharpay doesnt have buck teeth

**freakymathgrl:** i no but i didnt no how 2 make a demon smiley face so i did the next best thing lol :D

**Wildcatchamp:** ur weird, but thats what i like about u

**freakymathgrl:** 3 o darn i have to go vacuum real qwik, brb 3 u!

**Wildcatchamp: ** 3 u 2!

_freakymathgrl is away_

I heard footsteps on the stairs and turned in time to see Sharpay burst into the room, tears pouring down her face. "Get out!" she screamed, pushing my out of the computer chair.

"Hey, wait a minute," I protested as she tried to force me to leave the room. I grabbed her by the shoulders and she twisted her head to the side, avoiding eye contact.

"Leave me alone." she cried.

"No, I won't leave you alone. Tell me what's going on." I commanded, shaking her ever so slightly. She let out a sob and went limp, falling into my body and crying into my chest. I put my arms around her and held her, letting her get her tears out. As she cried, her story came out in a rushed and muffled voice.

"My dad's been having an affair, and now my parents are getting a divorce. Troy, my family has a problem. My parents are major alcoholics, especially my dad. And he gets mad really easily, especially when he's drunk. When he gets mad, he's abusive. He hits me sometimes, but he always beats on Ryan because he always protects me. Mom and Dad always fight and that's why our house burned down. I got mad at them for fighting and I left the stove on and everything caught on fire and it's all my fault. The fire didn't even destroy that much because they had already broken mostly everything we had. That's why I was crying that night, because of my parents. They fight and Dad hurts Ryan and that hurts me and I get so stressed out that I think I'm going to throw up. That's the reason why I put on an act at school, Troy, it's because of my family, and if I didn't put up a false face I'd break down every day at school. So I..." I couldn't tell what she said after that on account of how hard she was crying, but I had found out enough. I felt terrible, going all these years without even knowing all the pain she was in. While my friends and I had been making fun of her, she was going through hell.

Eventually, Sharpay stopped talking, but continued to cry. Without even realizing it, I took my hand and put my fingertips under her chin, lifting her face up as I looked into her chocolate brown eyes. My face slowly moved closer to hers and she trembled. When we were only centimeters apart, she whispered my name. "Troy..." I silenced her by pressing my lips up against hers softly, expecting her to pull back. I was surprised when she pressed her lips back against mine, a bit harder than I had. Our kiss quickly developed from a shy one into a passionate one. I pulled her body closer to mine, I wanted her. She put her arms around my neck and kissed me fervently, she wanted me. We let everything out in that kiss, all our passion, our feelings, our burning desires for one another. She was the only thing I wanted, the only thing I needed. I slipped my tongue into her mouth and she started unbuttoning my shirt. What was this? Somewhere in the back of my mind, I told myself I had a girlfriend. But I didn't care. I only cared about Sharpay. She was everything I had ever desired.

She got my shirt off and started undoing my jeans. I honestly don't know how far we would have gone if the computer hadn't chimed at that moment. Our lips broke apart, but I didn't let her go. We stared into each other's eyes, trying to catch our breath, savoring our final moment together before we had to see what the computer had said. Slowly, we released each other and I was forced to turn to the screen, back to the IM conversation I was having with Gabriella. The conversation where I had turned my webcam on, but never turned it off.

**freakymathgrl:** Troy, this is Taylor. You are the biggest _jerk_ I have ever met! I can't believe you would go off and kiss another girl, especially when your girlfriend can see every move you make. You do remember you have a girlfriend, right? Is this your idea of a cruel, sick method of breaking up with Gabriella? I only wish you could see the way you made her cry before she ran off to the bathroom. As her best friend, I'm going to go help her, but just so you know, you two are OVER! _freakymathgrl has signed off_

"Oh my gosh, Troy..." Sharpay trailed off, trying to think of something to say. I shook my head.

"No, it's okay. I think this has been coming for a while now."

"I'm so sorry, I never should have-" I turned around and put my fingers over her lips.

"It was my fault. I kissed you. So don't worry about it. You've got enough on your mind." I kissed her again lightly, then zipped up my jeans and quickly put my shirt back on before I walked out of the room. I heard her call my name, but I didn't look back. On the way down the stairs, I passed Ryan, who was coming up. He stopped me.

"Hey, have you seen Sharpay?" he asked worriedly.

"She's in my room." I continued down and went out to the backyard. I lied down in the grass and tried to sort out my feelings. Did I feel any regret for what I had done? No, I didn't. Gabriella was a nice girl, but that's all she was. Sharpay was something else. I wanted Sharpay more than I had ever wanted anything else. All I needed to realize that was her kiss. But one question remained unanswered, one that I desperately needed to know the answer to.

Did she feel the same way I did, or was that kiss just a way for me to comfort her?

**Sodagirl Says**: Just for a personal story and a few side notes, the part in Ryan's flashback about when the Evans twins were five came to me from something that happened to me when I was about six months old or something like that. No, my dad wasn't attacking me, but my mom had her curling iron on and for some reason I guess I tugged on the cord and it fell on my arm, so now I have a mark there. I just kind of stuck that in there because I wanted him to go after Sharpay, and I don't know if ya'll ever noticed this or not but Ashley has a birthmark or something on the upper part of her right arm. So I decided to make up that story and turn her birthmark into a burn mark. Also, a little later on after the flashback, Sharpay calls Ryan by his full name, "Ryan Stephen Evans." I just picked Stephen as his middle name because that's Lucas Grabeel's _real_ middle name so I thought I'd just go ahead and use it :D But you already knew that, right?

Anyways, I hoped you all liked that chapter, and I really hope it made up for the dullness of the last chapter. I _know_ it made up for it in length, so don't even try to act like it didn't! lol. Okay, please review now and tell me exactly what you thought of this chapter! By the way, the chapters will be getting up sooner now because I'm allowed on the _Internet_ for an hour. But I got our laptop which has no Internet connection and typed it up on there, then I transferred it over to our big computer and published it. So expect the chapters to be up a little faster than they have been! Okay, _now_ you can review:D


	6. Hurting

Flame of my Heart

by hotsodagirl

**Summary**: A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre**: Romance/Drama

**Rating**: T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says:** Wow! I got tons of great reviews this time on the first day alone. Big thanks to everyone!

**My BFF**: I know, the Troyella is so typical! Like I was saying last time I was over at your house, I like the controversial couples! Well, you know, except for the homo ones and anything gross like that. But yeah, I _told_ you that you would cry! When I called you to tell you it was up, I _knew_ you would cry because you cry at everything! Just like me :D And yes, I know I'm the best. J/k I'm not that conceited!

**bop2theTOP**: Gasp! That's bad of you! _Shame_ lol, yes I liked the kiss too :D

**TroypayFan**: Thank you! Like I said last time, flattery will get you everywhere! curtsies for the standing ovation And yes, I thought it was the best chapter as well! That _would_ totally rock if this could be a movie! Your reviews always make me happy :D I _love_ it when people say stuff like that! You have a ZACtastic day too! I know _I_ will!

**Dragonskin Fool**: Yes, there are now going to be more Troypay moments. Yay for the Troypay! claps Thank your for saying the story is awesome, and you'll get a glimpse of Sharpay's feelings in this chapter. Also, you guessed it, Ryan and Gabriella are going to get together. That starts in this chapter as well. I mean, they're not getting together in this chapter, but they're definitely starting to like each other.

**x0xCrAZiiTUBBieFiCWRiTeRx0x**: Thanks! Yeah, it was pretty long but it had to be that way. So now Troy knows about Sharpay, but will he keep it a secret from his friends? We'll find out!

**TheMissingFrame**: Oh my gosh I'm _so_ sorry! I could have sworn I replied, I normally reply to every review right after I read it in my inbox! I promise I did not mean to skip over you, or anyone else if I did. Thanks for still reviewing! Well, I knew you would anyways, because you're my sister, but still, thanks! _Sweet Pea is barking and getting on my nerves! _Oh, and mega thanks for getting me the new Bop!

**kietrolvr1**: Sorry! You'll eventually see what happens between Troy and Sharpay, but there's nothing too good in this chapter :( And about their parents, Ryan talks about it a little in here but within the next few chapters that problem will be solved... sort of.

**xxxAnnaxxx**: Yay! Thank you! Props to you too for your awesome one shots! I have both Yellowcard CDs too :D

**Other Reviewers**: _StoryBee_, _simpleee.meee_, _savana_, _Shoelace22_

And by the way, since this happened before, I am so sorry if I've skipped any reviewers!

Anyways, here is chapter six! In comparison to the last chapter, this one is a little on the short side. But that's okay, because it's longer than all the others. There's not too much drama in this chapter, we're just seeing the next-day reaction of what happened last time from the girls' point of view. It's still pretty good, though, so read on! In the next chapter, we'll switch over to the guys' POV and see what they're thinking. That'll be up soon, so R&R this and we can move on:D Enjoy!

Chapter Six: Hurting

_Gabriella's Diary_

_Dear Diary,_

_It is now Tuesday morning, 6:00 a.m. I couldn't sleep at all last night. Troy... I can't believe him. We were talking over IM and Mom wanted me to go vacuum. I told him I'd be right back, and that I loved him. He said he loved me too. But when I got back, he was kissing Sharpay! And I mean really kissing - he had his tongue in her mouth and everything! It was disgusting. I cried and ran off into the bathroom, and I've been depressed ever since. Taylor told me he wasn't worth it. She told me any guy who would cheat on me is a waste of my time. I want to believe her, but I thought what Troy and I had was something special. I guess it didn't mean as much to him as it did to me. I still can't believe it happened. I thought he was better than that._

_Oh, Taylor's waking up. I need to start getting ready for school anyways. It's going to be torture today, seeing him there, but what can I do about it? The only way to avoid him is to stay home, and Mom would never allow it. Hopefully I can at least convince her to call over to Troy's house and tell him I don't need a ride, and then get her to take me and Taylor to school. I'll write later._

_xoxo,_

_Gabriella_

Sharpay's POV

Needless to say, things were awkward this morning at the breakfast table. The eight of us all sat at the same table, but there was an uneasy silence that everyone noticed. Candi didn't even mention once how cool Ryan and I were because of the obvious tension. Everyone figured it was because of the divorce, and it partly was, but only Troy knew the other reason why I, personally, was so quiet. It was that kiss, that wonderful kiss. I would give anything for Troy to kiss me like that again. But I could never tell him that. I was the reason he and Gabriella were now separated. By the way he acted last night, I couldn't tell if he was sad about the break up or not. He was the one who kissed me, but why? Did he kiss me out of pity? Was he only trying to comfort me? Did that kiss mean anything to him? These questions and millions more had bounced around in my head all that night as I tried to get some sleep. I think I got a total of maybe two hours throughout the entire night, and even then I dreamt of only one person.

"Kids, it's eight o'clock," Mrs. Bolton announced, breaking the silence. The four of us nodded and Troy stacked our dishes in the sink. We grabbed our bags and slowly walked out to the garage. Candi sat in the passenger's seat and Ryan and I slid in behind her. I stared out the window, watching the scenery pass, until we stopped at East Elementary School to drop the girl off. The drive to East High passed by all too quickly; before I knew it we were in the parking lot. Troy shot me a glance in the rearview mirror and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat as a thought struck me. _'Troy knows about our family. He knows about me. He can tell anyone he wants about what the "Ice Queen" is really like. Why did I tell him about me? Why did I let him in?'_

We all stepped out of the vehicle, but made no move towards the school. I looked at Troy and sighed. _'Just tell him off. You're supposed to be the Ice Queen at school, remember? Yell at him. Demand that he tell no one.' _I took a deep breath, prepared to give him a piece of my mind, when we heard Troy's basketball friends - Chad, Jason, and Zeke - give a shout as they came running down the parking lot. They traveled swiftly and were in front of us in almost an instant. Chad held his hands up in question to Troy.

"Dude, what the hell is this? You and Sharpay? Together?" he asked in disbelief. Troy's eyes widened.

"Guys, what are you talking about? I don't know what-"

"Don't act like you don't know. We're talking about your kiss last night. Explain that." Zeke challenged. My mouth dropped and out of the corner of my eye I saw Ryan do the same while giving me a quizzical look. I ignored him and marched up to the basketball guys, my hands on my hips.

"Who told you that!" I demanded, standing up as tall as I could which, in comparison, wasn't that tall.

"I heard it from Kelsi," Jason answered. "She heard it from Amy, who heard it from Carter, who heard it from Kristin, who heard it from Dillon, who heard it from Logan, who heard it from Madison, who heard it from Tyler, who-" I held up my hand.

"Okay, I get it!" I shook my head in an annoyed fashion and turned in the direction of the school. "Come on, Ryan, we're going." My heels clicked on the pavement as I quickly walked away. Ryan followed and came to my side, an incredulous expression on his face.

"You _kissed_ him?"

I ignored him once again as I strained my ears to hear the conversation in the expanding distance behind us. I could hardly make a word out through most of it, but one statement from Troy was clear: "Guys, it didn't mean anything, really. Think about it - me and Sharpay?" His friends laughed and I quit listening. _'So that's it then. It meant nothing to him.'_

"You _kissed_ him?" Ryan repeated.

"Ryan, I-"

"You _kissed_ him!"

"Yes! I kissed him! Well, he kissed me, but-"

"I thought you hated him!"

"I did, but... it just happened, okay?" I crossed my arms. "Besides, it was more Gabriella that I hated than it was him."

"So you kissed him on purpose to get them to break up?" he asked. I stopped and gaped at him.

"What! Do you truly think I would do something like that?"

He paused before replying with an uncertain tone to his voice. "Maybe?"

I scoffed and briskly headed for the school. This time, I wasn't followed.

Gabriella's POV

_A few hours later_

Fourth period chemistry. I tried to concentrate on my class work, but it was practically impossible when I could feel everyone's eyes on me and could hear their hushed voices. It seemed like every student at East High was talking about me, Troy, and Sharpay. They all looked down on me with pity as they went on gossiping about something they knew nothing about. I had overheard a few conversations; the rumors these people made up were ridiculous! One girl had even come up to me in the hall to ask how I was able to walk after Sharpay had stabbed me in the leg with a steak knife when I found out that she had gotten Troy drunk to get him into bed with her. And _that_ wasn't even the worst one. I was thankful when the bell rang, releasing the class to lunch. I moved to the front of the room and handed the teacher my paper, then returned to my seat at the lab table.

"Oh, are you staying, Gabriella?" the woman asked as she gathered her things.

"Yes ma'am. I need to... work on some homework." I made up an excuse quickly, but she accepted it.

"Okay, but don't be late to your next class." She left and I pulled a novel out of my bag. There wasn't much else to do except go to the cafeteria, and I didn't think I was ready for that. It was hard enough to be with Troy earlier in homeroom; it would have been impossible to go a whole lunch period sitting at the same table as him. Not to mention all the stares we would receive. No, it was much better to hide out here until fifth period.

I sighed and opened the book to where I had last left off. Getting into a comfortable position, I leaned back in the chair and set my heels on the table. Soon enough, I was lost in a fictional world, one where good always beats evil and the heroine always finds true love in the end. Nothing like real life, right? Eventually I got so absorbed in my book, I forgot where I was or what I was doing. I started rocking my seat back and forth, slowly at first, then a bit faster and further. Before I realized what I was happening, I tipped my chair too far and it toppled backwards, causing me to yelp as I fell to the floor.

"Gabriella?" I heard a male voice ask. Whoever had just spoken ran into the room. I felt someone take my arm and help me back to my feet. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine..." My voice faded as I looked up to see the bright blue eyes of Ryan Evans. I giggled nervously as I brushed off my jeans and smoothed my hair. _'How embarrassing.'_ I thought, my cheeks flushing with humiliation. He chuckled and set my chair upright before looking back at me. I shoved my hands into my pockets and let my gaze wander around the room, looking at anything except the smiling guy in front of me.

"Just out of curiosity, what exactly were you doing?" he inquired. I gave a timid smile, staring at the floor.

"Um... I was reading and I... fell." I said, self-consciously aware of how stupid I must have looked. _'He must think I'm an idiot...' _There was a momentary silence before I asked him, "Why aren't you at lunch?"

"I had a lot of stuff on my mind and I didn't really feel like being around a big group of people. What about you?"

"Same thing. Isn't it obvious? You know, Troy..." He nodded in comprehension.

"Oh, yeah. I've heard some... _strange_ things about that today," he said.

"Me too. But most of it isn't even true."

He stared off into the distance at nothing in particular, as if he was thinking about something. I tilted my head, building up the courage to look at him, and asked him another question. "Is something wrong?" He seemed to be pulled out of his thoughts by my voice, and he focused his attention on me again.

"Sorry, it's just... I was thinking about stuff..."

"Earlier you said you had a lot on your mind, too. Is it something you want to talk about?"

He shook his head. "It's not a big deal, really. My parents... they're splitting up because my dad's cheating on my mom."

I gasped quietly. "Oh my gosh, Ryan... I'm sorry. I know exactly how it feels. My parents divorced a couple of years ago; it hurt me for a long time." After speaking, I sat back down in my seat and he sat in the one next to me.

"It's not too bad," he said. "I think I've known this was coming for a while. It might be okay as long as Shar and I are able to stay together and if our mom gets custody of us. My dad's... a huge jerk." He stared off again for a fleeting moment, then shook it off and looked at me. "What's your dad like, Gabriella? I've never seen him before."

"He... died. Five month ago, in a car crash," I said slowly.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I'm pretty much over it. I hadn't seen him since the divorce anyway, so it wasn't a huge impact. I'm a lot closer to my mom. I don't know what I would do if I lost her."

"You're lucky, to be close to at least one of your parents. I'm pretty distant from both of mine, but Sharpay and I are really close. That's why it would be such a tragedy if we got split up. Especially if our dad were to get custody of her. If that happened, she could-" He stopped himself, but I didn't ask him to finish what he was going to say. Sometimes people just needed to keep their secrets for a while. I understood that, and I wouldn't push him to tell me what _could_ happen if his father got custody over Sharpay. There was a quick discomfited pause, and then he changed the subject. "So, what exactly happened between you and Troy?"

I gave him a confused look. "Didn't your sister tell you?" When he shook his head, I told him the story. "Troy and I were IMing each other and my mom told me to go do some chores. When I got back, I looked at Troy's webcam to make sure he was still there. He was, but he wasn't at the computer screen. He was back a bit further and he was holding your sister. She was crying. I was about to IM him to ask if she was okay, and that's when he kissed her." I hesitated, wondering if I should continue or leave it at that. _'If I keep going, I'll have to tell him how I really felt. I don't want anyone to know how much it hurts... But maybe letting my feelings out to just one person wouldn't be so bad.'_ I decided to finish the story quickly, but truthfully and honestly.

"When he kissed her, it felt like a million knives slicing through my heart," I explained. "I had never felt so horrible in my life. But it only got worse. She kissed him back, and soon enough she was taking off his clothes." An outraged expression crossed his face, breaking off my story before I was forced to say how depressed I had been since the night before.

"She did _what_?" He stood hastily, knocking his chair over in the process. I jumped up and touched his arm, stopping him from leaving the room in an angry fury. I could see it in his eyes; he would hurt Troy if he had the chance. A few days ago I wouldn't have even considered Ryan to be capable of violence, but now I knew better. The bruise on Troy's face was proof enough of a different side of Ryan. It was a side I didn't want to think about, a side that I hoped was minor in comparison to the rest of him.

"Don't worry, she only got his shirt off before I ran away. Taylor sent them an angry IM and apparently Troy left after that. Nothing happened, I promise." He seemed to cool down a bit after that, but I could tell he was still infuriated about something. I looked at him questionably, and he sighed.

"I just don't understand why Troy would do that to you," he said. "You're such a sweet girl. Any guy with an ounce of common sense would know better than to cheat on you. There aren't many girls like you out there, Gabriella. You're really special." I felt my cheeks redden as my heart swelled with joy. _'Why am I reacting like this? Ryan is just a friend. He doesn't like me in a romantic way and I definitely don't like him. We're just friends.'_ I reassured myself mentally before replying to him.

"Thanks. That was... probably the nicest thing a anyone has said to me in a while. I-" The bell rang and I flinched out of surprise. Ryan laughed and I blushed again, sure that my face must have been as red as a cherry. I reached down to grab my bag and accidentally knocked my chair over again. I kicked it lightly, making it skid across the floor and crash into Ryan's still overturned chair. I rolled my eyes good-naturedly, smiling. "Stupid chairs."

We went out into the hall and stood uneasily near the doorway. I knew we should be getting to class, but I at least wanted to thank him for what he'd done. I stared into his eyes and we both grinned. "Um... thanks, again." I said slowly. "You know, for coming and making sure I was okay, for talking to me, and for being... a friend." I rose up and gave him a friendly peck on the cheek before walking off behind him. Somehow, I was able to keep calm until I rounded the corner. My clumsiness overcame me at that point and I tripped over a wet floor sign. I quickly picked myself up and stumbled into the nearest bathroom, praying no one saw me. I leaned against the door, taking a deep breath, then releasing it.

_'What is going on with me? Why do I feel so nervous? This can't be happening! Troy and I broke up because he kissed Sharpay; I can't possibly have a crush on her brother! Hmm... I don't know. He is really cute... wait, what am I saying? I don't like Ryan that way... do I?'_

Sharpay's POV

Fourth period chemistry, one of the classes I had with Gabriella. I glanced across the room to see her studiously working on her paper, acting like she was ignoring the whispers. I was trying to ignore them too, but it's hard being the villain of the gossip topic. Everyone looked on Gabriella with pity, but they looked at me like I was the devil. Throughout the day, I had overheard some crazy rumors, but they all shared one thing in common - the idea that I had purposefully stolen Troy away from his girlfriend. I was used to hearing gossip about myself, so it was almost like any other day. _Almost._ There was that one part of my brain that continuously reminded me that Troy didn't like me as anything but a friend, _maybe_, and yet I had opened myself up to him. He was nice enough when we were at the house, but then so was I. School was a different place. We both had separate personalities for the two locations. How was I to know if he would keep my secret or not? My family life was the one thing I didn't want people to know about, but Troy had the power to reveal it all. I mentally kicked myself for telling him anything in the first place. _'Stupid stupid Sharpay! Why did you do that? Ugh, I never should have said a word. Hopefully I can at least avoid him during lunch. When is this class going to be over anyway?'_ As if reading my mind, the bell rang, signaling the end of fourth period and the beginning of lunch. I handed in my paper on the way out the door and quickly made my way down the hall to the wildcat statue, the place where Ryan and I always met up before lunch. My brother wasn't there yet, but someone else was waiting there. He was exactly the someone else I didn't want to talk to, but there was no point in trying to evade him now that he had seen me. He gave a small wave as I approached him; I flashed him a famous "Ice Queen" smile in return.

"Troy, hi!" I exclaimed in a forced perky voice. I knew he could tell I was being fake in all of this, but I had to put on an act for everyone else. Every person in the hall was watching us; I figured I should continue to be my normal self. Well, what _they_ considered to be normal for me, anyways. Besides, if I didn't act this way, I would break down crying. All day long, his voice had been continuous in my mind, saying the same thing over and over again. _"It didn't mean anything, really. Think about it - me and Sharpay?"_ Why was this killing me so badly? Had I really thought it was possible that Troy Bolton liked me?

"Hey Sharpay," he said in his usual less-enthusiastic voice. "Listen, we need to talk-"

"Shar!" I heard Ryan call my name and I turned to meet him. We hugged each other, and I let my guard down for a brief moment.

"Are you okay?" he whispered, obviously talking about our parents' divorce. That part of me was fine. It was nothing compared to the huge ache inside of me that longed for Troy's attention.

"Yeah," I whispered back. We split apart and my façade returned once again. "How was class?"

"Good."

"Great! So, are you ready for lunch?"

Ryan shook his head. "I think I'm going to have to pass; I've got a lot to think about right now."

"Oh. I'll see you in history, then?" He nodded in reply and I waved. "Toodles!" As he took off in the opposite direction, I departed toward the cafeteria.

"Sharpay, wait!" I stopped and rolled my eyes.

"What do you want, Bolton?"

"I need to talk to you."

I looked back to him, my arms crossed and a smirk plastered on my face. "Fine. Talk."

Troy looked down the hall tentatively, noticing the palpable stares of the students all around us as they moved past us. "Here?"

"Did you have somewhere else in mind?"

"I was thinking somewhere a little more private..."

I cocked an eyebrow. "What difference does it make?"

"Come on, Sharpay, don't tell me you haven't heard some of the rumors-"

"Oh, I've heard them alright," I interrupted. "I just don't care." I started to leave again. The corridor had quickly emptied out and was now near-to-empty with everyone headed to lunch.

"Well I do care, and I think you would care about what could happen if they all found out about what the real Sharpay Evans is like!" he yelled, his voice almost echoing. I gasped and spun around to see him displaying a confident grin, knowing he had hit my weak spot. Glaring at him, I returned to his side and followed as he walked off in the direction of the hallway I had just come from. At the end, he turned towards a staircase and led me up until we eventually reached a hidden area. It was a small balcony outside, filled with plants. I looked around in amazement.

"Wow. I never knew this place existed."

"Yeah, it's kind of like my secret hideout. Well, it was, but most of my friends know about it by now." I nodded, gazing out at the mountains.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" I asked, no longer using a fake voice. What was the point of acting when it was just the two of us?

"I wanted to talk about... you. Us. Our families."

I sighed and leaned against the railing. "More specifically?"

He sat down on the bench. "Listen, last night was a little... weird. Everything happened so fast, and you were upset. I thought you might want to talk about your problems since we didn't get to before."

I glared at him. "Why? So you can go tell all your friends the truth about me and ruin my life? You already know enough about me to do that, so go ahead."

"Sharpay, I would never tell anyone what you told me last night."

"You just threatened to a few minutes ago!"

"That's because I knew you would never talk to me if I _didn't _threaten you."

"Well I'm not talking to you now." I turned to leave, but I was stopped when I felt a pair of strong arms around me, holding me in place. I didn't try to break free, because somewhere deep inside of me I didn't want him to let me go. I wanted him to be with me forever. But I couldn't let him play with my feelings. I had heard what he said this morning. That kiss meant nothing to him; he would never like me as anything more than... his neighbor. Not only was there that problem, but there was always the chance one of his friends could find their way up here, wondering where he was, and see us...

"Troy, let me go," I whispered. "Someone might see us together and think-"

"I thought you didn't care about the rumors," he interrupted, spinning me around to face him. I jerked my head to the side and gathered up the strength to push him away, separating our bodies. The gap between us seemed immense, although in reality it was about two feet.

"I don't, but... I just can't do this." I tried leaving again, but he reached out and took my hand. Just as before, his touch had momentarily paralyzed me, freezing me right on the spot.

"Why won't you talk to me about it? Something's obviously bothering you... I just want to help you. Let me help you."

A single tear trickled slowly down my cheek and I shook my head. "No, Troy. I don't want your help. I don't _need _your help! So leave me alone!" Able to move once again, I pulled my hand away from his and ran for the stairs before he could touch me again.

"Sharpay!" he called my name but I kept running. I ran down until I got back into the building, and then I collapsed to the floor, crying. Why did he pretend to care about me? If he didn't even like me, he could at least act in such a way. But instead he chose to mess with my head, making me miserable. _'I hate you, Troy Bolton.'_

I don't know how long I sat there crying, next to that staircase, but for once Troy had decided to listen to me and had left me alone. Eventually, the bell rang. I stood and wiped off my face, not wanting anyone to see me like this. My feelings were already hurt enough, I didn't need humiliation on top of it. However, maybe humiliation would have felt better than what I saw next when I looked up. At the end of the hall, next to the door of my chemistry class, stood Ryan. Across from him was Gabriella. I couldn't see her face, but I could see my brother's. He was smiling. She said something, then kissed him on the cheek. As she walked away from him, he pumped his arm down in satisfaction and whispered, "Yes!" before turning away to go to his next class.

I couldn't believe it. Ryan liked Gabriella?

**Sodagirl Says**: DUN DUN DUN! lol, yeah, Sharpay's not too happy with this new couple! But what about you? I wasn't exactly sure how all of you would react, but I had already planned on turning this both Troypay and Ryella. A couple of people had asked if it would be a Ryella, so I at least know a few people are okay with it. Let me know if you like them together or not. Either way, I'm going to do this the way I planned it, but I just wanted to know what you all thought about it.

By the way, I am aiming for this to be 20 chapters. About a week ago I thought it was going to be 18, but I changed a few things up. Like, this chapter was supposed to be longer, but I liked it the way it was so I switched my plans and made the one big chapter into two smaller ones, this one and then the next one, and then I did some other stuff. But yeah, it's supposed to be twenty chapters, unless I change something around again. Which I don't think I will, because I like it the way I have it planned. It's going to be pretty dramatic later on, believe me.

For now, you can help out by hitting that review button down there:D Reviews make me happy and they lift my spirits, so please drop me one! Much love if you do, and if you decide to be mean and _not_ review, thanks for reading anyways, I guess. Toodles! 3


	7. Healing

Flame of my Heart

by hotsodagirl

**Summary**: A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre**: Romance/Drama

**Rating**: T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says:** Hey everyone! As usual, thanks for all the reviews! Every single one means so much to me, even if it only says, "Update soon!" Because then I feel special that someone took the time to review my story :) Even though SOME PEOPLE forget to read it on the first day coughmy sistercough No, I'm just kidding! Much love to you, sis! Also, I have to say I missed my BFF SO MUCH because she was all the way up in Massachusetts, being bored to death without me:( But whatever, we had so much fun at Six Flags! Also, big congrats to my older sis who just got her first job! Yay! Even though she's completely tired :( ANYWAYS, on to replying to the reviews!

**Ashley's Fool**: Thank you! Troypay is my favorite couple, too! Yeah, I used to not like the Ryellas but then thye kind of grew on me. :D

**knick-knack-15**: Thanks! That means a lot to me when people say I have talent. And yes, I loved that line! I think up stuff for Candi to say based on what _I_ would say if I was in her position :)

**kayk724**: Lol, I like that! "I'm lovin it like micky d's" that's a good one :D Thanks for the compliments!

**ELM-Tree10**: Don't take this the wrong way or anything, because I don't mean to sound rude, but all I can really say is too bad because I'm going to do what I had planned, okay:D

**Amanda14**: I know, right? When I first started reading HSM fanfics, I was like, "Troy and Sharpay? No way! That's so stupid!" And then the next day I decided to read one, then I read another, and then it became my favorite couple:D Because it is so much more interesting than Troy and Gabriella because that's so _typical_, you know? Thanks for reading!

**xxxAnnaxxx**: Of course you get love! Haha, yeah you're right, the fluff is so cute! And there is much more to come, I promise you'll like it! By the way, thanks for mentioning me in your latest chapter of For a Lifetime! It made me feel so special 3 lol

**AtSundown22**: Lol! Wow, the all-caps thing makes me feel appreciated :D

**TroypayFan**: Omg, seriously, I love it when you review! Especially because you leave moderately long reviews chock full of compliments! But yes, I love the drama too! I am also obsessed with HSM fanfics, but not the slashes, just like you said! Anyways, thank you so much for leaving yet another great review! 3

**StoryBee**: Because I was sick and busy. See below the review replies for the whole long story. :)

**savana**: Yay! Cookie! eats in one bite Thank you!

**My BFF**: screams OMG! I missed you! You have no idea how happy I was when I saw I got a review from you. I'm about to call you and tell you too! And yes, doesn't everyone like it when Ryan is around a lot? Don't forget that we're going to make a shirt of him:P "Everybody loves a good jazz square!" Yes, the YINT YINT demon that took you away:( But anyways, Six Flags was so fun! I LOVED the Double Lucas Whoosh:P

**ethereal tear**: Yay! I'm glad you like it, and I'm glad you liked your very first HSM fanfic! Thanks so much for reading! 3

**TheMissingFrame**: Finally it went:P Yeah, I didn't used to be big on Ryella fics either, but they really grew on me so I decided to stick some of it in here :D

**xofalling2deep**: Yeah, I know it took me forever to update, but I have a really good explanation, which you can read below. Thanks for saying I wrote it well, though!

**Other Reviewers**: _zashly 358, Shoelace22, XoZac-EfronOx, xoxo kati 459, cherryblossomjen_

**Sodagirl Says**: Okay, wow, I am so sorry this took forever to get up! If you've checked my profile since Friday (8/4) then you kind of know why it took me forever. And if you're TheMissingFrame, aka my sister, or my BFF, you know why, too! Okay, so here's my big explanation on why it took so long for such a short chapter. First of all, last Friday and Saturday I was sick. Well, sort of. I didn't _feel_ sick if I was lying on the couch watching TV, but if I moved around I got a really bad headache. So you can understand that there was two days of no typing there because I could have killed myself doing that. :P No, not really, but I had such a bad headache! And then another day later in the week I had a headache again so there wasn't much I could do about that. Secondly, I kind of realized I had 3 books to read in about a month, and those books are _The Hobbit, King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table, _and_ Ender's Game._ Since it's summer and my brain's kind of slow, it's taking me a while to read these so I had less time to type each day because I had to read because I'm being tested over those books during the last week of August. Not fun :( The third reason this took so long is the reason why I only update once a week: I cannot sit in front of my laptop for hours on end and type straight through and get an update every day. My eyes start hurting if I sit at the computer for a really long time. Plus I like doing other stuff. So in addition to reading books, I'm looking at my magazines, rearranging the posters on my walls(my walls are HSM themed; I have about a million Zac pics because there are pictures and posters of him in every magazine I read, and then I have a lot of the others too. There's a lot of Ashley because she's popular in the mags too. But I always rearrange them because I'm always getting new pictures), talking to my BFF on the phone, playing DDR or Guitar Hero, etc. And for the FOURTH reason, this weekend was Tax Free Weekend and Friday I went on a big shopping spree with my mom. See, we had to go Friday because I go to church on Saturday and I don't really like to spend money on that day because it's like making people work. And yesterday, me and my BFF and her family went to Six Flags! It was so fun, we rode a bunch of rides and renamed them too:P But anyways, I had a lot of fun shopping. If you care to know what I bought, I got 5 pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of shorts, 1 skirt, 17 tops, 2 pairs of flip flops, some cute bobby pins and hair clips with flowers on them, a necklace, the Suite Life of Zack and Cody DVD, 2 HSM posters from Limited Too (Yeah, I already have a million posters from mags, but I wanted these! They were 10 bucks each, but I had the money!), and an HSM calendar. Actually, it was 2 HSM calendars because I got one for my BFF. I also got my sis the Pink Spiders CD as a late b-day present. And after going to 2 malls, Kohl's, Best Buy, Ross, and Schlotzky's for lunch, my legs hurt _so bad!_ But it was still _so fun!_

Anyways, if you decided you didn't care about why the chapter was so late and skipped that big long explanation, that's okay:D You can read now! Although I should warn you, it's not the most interesting chapter. But I promise you there's some drama in upcoming chapters so get through these non-dramatic chapters, okay:D

Oh yeah, I know I told you in the last chapter that this would be in the guys' POV, but I couldn't get Ryan's POV in. Sorry, I feel bad about it too because I love Ryan, but I couldn't find a place to fit him in! And believe me, I tried to do it in several different places, but it always ended up really bad. Actually, it never ended up anywhere because I would get about 2 paragraphs into it, and then I couldn't think of anything to say. So instead this is in Troy and Gabriella's POV. Also, if you're kind of confused at the end of this chapter about everyone's feelings, don't worry. It'll all become clear in the near future. I'm not confused after re-reading it, but that's because I know exactly what they're feeling because I know what's coming next! But you don't :P Okay, so R&R and the next chapter will be up a lot quicker than this one was, unless I get a bad headache again. Anyways, if I don't stop myself I am going to go on and on so just go ahead and read and I'll shut myself up right now, okay:D

Chapter Seven: Healing

Troy's POV

_"No, Troy. I don't want your help. I don't _need _your help! So leave me alone!"_

"Sharpay!" I called, but it was useless. She was probably back inside the school already. I groaned and fell backwards to the bench. Why was she so mad at me? Maybe I was right. Maybe our kiss last night _was _just me comforting her, and now she was back to being the Ice Queen. I laughed to myself once I thought about it more. Sharpay - in love with me? That would never happen. She had always hated me. One kiss couldn't change that. Now I was alone. I didn't have Sharpay or Gabriella. Taylor was right - I _was_ the biggest jerk ever.

Truthfully, I wasn't in love with Gabi anymore. I hadn't been for a while. She was a nice girl, with brains _and_ beauty, but she just wasn't for me. The only feelings I had for her were friendly ones. I felt so much more for Sharpay. I know it sounds cliché, but she was the one girl I wanted, yet the one girl I couldn't have. Any other girl in the school would gladly date me, but I didn't want them. I wanted _her_. I _needed_ her. Of course, I would never admit that to anyone but myself. If my friends ever found out my true feelings for the Ice Queen, I'd never hear the end of it. What was the point in letting it be known when she didn't even like me? That's why I had to continue to pretend I didn't care about her when Chad and the others were around. "It didn't mean anything," I had said earlier that morning. It was a huge lie; that kiss meant everything. I was suddenly dismayed as I realized it would never happen again.

I blocked that thought out of my mind and closed my eyes, envisioning a different scenario. _Sharpay comes back. "I love you, Troy Bolton!" she says. She walks over to me, straddles my hips, forces her lips onto mine. I can smell her sweet perfume mingling with our sweat as our tongues clash, fighting for control of the other. Her delicate fingers work at stripping my clothes off once again. I run my hand down her smooth, slender body, feeling every movement of her being. She-_

The bell rang, snatching me unwillingly from my impossible dreams. I slowly sat up, indifferent to the notion of going to class. History. The whole gang was in the same class - me, Gabi, Sharpay, Ryan, Chad, Taylor, Zeke, Jason, and Kelsi. Things could possibly get hectic. I just hoped Gabriella wasn't still as depressed as she was in homeroom. It hurt me internally to see her in that condition. I may not have loved her anymore, but I still cared for her and I didn't enjoy seeing her sad face.

I walked down the stairs back to the hall and was surprised to see Sharpay still standing next to the entryway. She seemed to be zoned out, staring out into space at something that wasn't there. I came up behind her and gave her a small shake, which brought her out of her trace-like state. Realizing where she was and who had shaken her, she turned and glared at me. Her eyes were wet and she had tear streaks running down her face.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone," she snapped, crossing her arms.

"I did, but the bell rang to go to class and you're just standing there. Something wrong?"

"It's nothing that I would care to tell you about." She swiftly turned and walked down the hall. I proceeded in the same direction until she stopped and turned back to me once again. "Stop following me!"

"I'm not! We have the same class." I smiled; she was so cute when she was mad. I couldn't help but to irritate her slightly more. "Do you want to sit next to me?" I joked, causing her to huff angrily and continue on to the room, me following directly behind her and laughing silently to myself.

Upon entering through the doorway, the students who had already made it to class immediately stopped what they were doing and came over to us. There was an astonishingly large number in the group, considering it was right after lunch and people usually tended to linger outside until the very last second. Almost the entire class had already arrived, but I noticed Gabriella was one of the few who hadn't. However, I had no time to think about this because my friends had soon grabbed me and pulled me off to one side of the classroom while Sharpay's brother and friends mirrored this action in the opposite direction.

"Troy, what is going on?" Chad asked with the same look of disbelief he had held on his face earlier that morning. "I thought you said there was nothing between you and the ice princess!"

"There isn't," I lied. "I don't even like her as a friend; we've been over this already."

"Yeah, that's what you _say_. Dude, you're my best friend. If there's something going on, you need to tell me about it."

"There's nothing to tell! Why are you all grilling me about this? We talked about the whole kissing thing this morning-"

"This isn't about you kissing her. This is about what happened at lunch."

I cringed. "You saw us when we were in my hideout?"

Chad gave me a questionable look. "No, but you were last seen in the hallway with her, neither of you showed up at lunch, and then you come into class at the same time... wait, so you're _admitting_ you were with her during lunch?"

I shook my head. "Forget about it. It was nothing. We were there... five minutes, _maybe_. It was just a neighbor thing, because we're living together, you know?"

The guys thought about it for a moment. "Okay, that's believable. So where were you two during the rest of lunch?"

"She left and I stayed up there and... thought about some stuff," I said, hoping they wouldn't ask what I was thinking about. Luckily, the tardy bell rang and we all jumped into our seats before anyone could say another word. By this time all the other students had arrived, including Gabriella. She still sat in the same seat she always had, the one to the left of mine. To her left was Ryan, and to his left was Sharpay. Behind her was Zeke, then to the right were Chad, Taylor, Jason, and Kelsi. In front of Kelsi and to my right was one of the cheerleaders - Allison. **(a/n: Yeah, kinda random but there were only nine people there and someone had to be on the other side of Troy.)** Gabriella leaned over to get her History notebook out of her backpack and I took the opportunity to do the same. She detected this and we both stopped where we were, her surprising me when I saw a smile on her face.

"Hi Troy," she whispered.

"Hey." I cleared my throat before speaking again. "So, Gabriella... are we okay now?"

Her smile faded; eyes shifted around as she tilted her head around, contemplating her answer to my question. "I don't know, Troy. I'm still trying to figure out my feelings."

I laughed quietly, knowing exactly what she was going through. "I understand that. I'm trying to figure some stuff out, too. But there's a few things I need to tell you." Before I got the chance to say any more, we noticed the teacher had come down the aisle and was now standing right in front of us.

"Ms. Montez, Mr. Bolton, is there something you'd like to share with the class?" she asked, her arms crossed and her foot tapping on the tile floor impatiently. In that moment, I became aware that every person in the room had their eyes on us. I quickly glanced at Gabriella. Her cherry red cheeks told me that she had observed the same fact.

"Um... no, Mrs. Thomas. We were talking about... history." The last part sounded more like a question than a statement, but the elderly woman returned to the front of the class and continued talking about whatever it was that we hadn't been paying attention to in the first place. I pulled out a sheet of paper, acting like I was taking notes, but instead wrote out a short message.

_Gabriella,_

_Meet me by my locker after the last bell so we can talk a little bit more._

_-Troy_

When Mrs. Thomas wasn't looking, I passed the paper over to Gabriella, who quickly read over it and gave me a small nod in reply. Satisfied, I took out another sheet and tried to take actual class notes, but it was hard to concentrate. All throughout class, I noticed my ex-girlfriend shooting sideways glances, taking any chance she got to stare at a guy she was clearly developing an interest in. However, she wasn't shooting those glances to her right, where I was. She was glancing to her left, to see the one and only Ryan Evans.

Gabriella's POV

Immediately after the last bell, I headed for the door and hoped Taylor wouldn't follow me. That hope was diminished when I heard her voice ring out behind me.

"Gabriella!" she called, running over to my side. "Hey, where are you going? Our lockers are the other way, remember?"

"Troy wants to talk to me." I said quietly, knowing she was about to lose her temper.

"Troy? You're going to go see _Troy_! Why on earth would you go talk to him? Did you forget what he did last night? What could ever make you want to go talk to him? He _kissed_ Sharpay Evans. Sharpay Evans! Of all the girls in the school, he decided to cheat on you with the Ice Queen! How can-"

"Taylor!" If I didn't interrupt her early on, she could rant about Troy and Sharpay for all eternity. "He said he had something to tell me, and I want to know what it is." I began to move in the direction of Troy's locker, building up another hope that this time my best friend wouldn't follow. Unfortunately, that hope was also crushed. From the corner of my eye, I could see her walking in pace with me, presenting a confused expression on her face. I pretended not to notice, but that only caused her to ask questions.

"Why have you been so calm recently?" she demanded to know.

"What are you talking about?'

"I mean that last night, when you saw your boyfriend locking lips with Sharpay, you got all depressed. And you were depressed through every class up until lunch. You disappeared after fourth period, and then in fifth period you were different. What happened?"

"Nothing..." I lied, but my flushed cheeks gave away the fact that I wasn't being completely honest.

"I'm serious, where did you go?"

"I stayed in my chemistry class and read a book."

"And then?"

"That's all. Nothing happened after that."

Taylor chuckled, shaking her head. "Gabriella Montez, you are the worst liar in the world! You blush every time you don't tell the truth." I covered my cheeks. "That's not going to work, girl. You're _entire_ _face_ turns red."

I whined and held my hands over my face, covering everything including my eyes. Even though I am considered a genius girl, I do some stupid things sometimes. Deciding to walk down a crowded high school hallway with my eyes covered was one of them. I don't think I had even taken two steps before I smacked into someone. Upon our collision, I fell promptly to the floor along with the other person.

"Ow!" I heard a high pitched voice screech, and I knew exactly who I had run into without even looking. Her dark brown eyes glared at me with a deep hatred, and everything clicked in my mind. She knew. She had to. Sharpay just had that way about her where she knew everything and anything about the latest gossip before anyone else. Of course, the gossip _was_ usually about her, but whether or not it was, she knew it first. Right now she knew about my new secret crush, and she did not approve.

"You okay, Shar?" Ryan asked, extending his hand to help his sister up. She backed away from it, as if it was a poisonous snake, and stood up on her own. Noticing the large cluster of guys around us, hoping for a catfight, she huffed and pushed her way through the crowd, immediately heading for the bathrooms where I'm sure she was going to check to make sure her hair looked okay. The group immediately broke up, disappointed a fight wouldn't be taking place. I sighed and only realized I was still on the floor when a passing student stepped on my hand. I winced and looked down, shaking it to make the minor pain shrink to almost nothing.

"Here, let me help you." I heard Ryan's voice and my cheeks instantly flushed once more. This time, he extended his hand to _me _and I gladly took it, allowing him to pull me up to my feet. "How many times do you think you'll fall today?" he asked, and I laughed nervously.

"Hopefully this will be the last time. Thanks for helping me... again."

"No problem. I'm always willing to help out a friend." I smiled and before I could stop myself I had asked him a question, one that I had never really planned to ask, but had slipped out without my knowing.

"Do you think I could call you sometime? You know, to talk... and stuff..." My voice trailed off when my ears heard the words that had just escaped my mouth. Luckily, Ryan smiled back at me and didn't seem to think I was a complete nutcase for falling about a million times in one day, then asking for his number.

"Sure," he said, taking his phone out of his bag. I did the same and smiled as he took my picture. I took his, then we exchanged phones and dialed in our numbers. I hit the 'save' button and gave his phone back. At that moment, Taylor tapped me on my shoulder. I whirled around, having forgotten she had been behind me all along.

"Gabriella, weren't you going to see Troy?" she asked. I gasped.

"Oh my gosh, I forgot!" I turned back to Ryan. "Sorry, I have to go. I'll call you, okay?" Before he had the chance to answer, I grabbed Taylor's wrist and ran down the hall. We turned the corner and I bumped right into my ex-boyfriend. I started to fall, thinking, _'Not again...'_ This time I never hit the ground, because Troy had quickly reached out and put his arms around me, catching me from yet another meeting with the school's tile floor. He stood me upright and I was soon securely standing on my own two feet.

"Hey, I was just coming to look for you. You're late," he said, pointing out the obvious. I nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I had a little collision with the Ice... I mean, with Sharpay."

"Oh." He looked to Taylor. "Can we have a minute?" She nodded and promptly disappeared, probably heading back towards her locker. I watched her until she was out of eyesight, then focused my attention once again on the man in front of me.

"So, you wanted to tell me something?"

"Yes, um..." He looked around nervously, trying to figure out exactly what he wanted to say. "Listen, Gabriella... I am really sorry for what you saw on the webcam last night. That was not supposed to happen. I never wanted to hurt you, I swear."

I nodded. "Go on."

"I care about you a lot. And I promise you there will always be a place for you in my heart. But these feelings I have for you... they're just not what they used to be. Two months ago I loved you with all my heart, but the magic is gone now. I know you don't want to admit it, but you can't tell me you didn't see our breakup coming. You felt that magic slipping away a while ago, didn't you?"

Not knowing what to say, I nodded again in reply, because although it had crushed me, I knew exactly what he was talking about. Troy wasn't in love with me anymore, but I wasn't madly in love with him either. Suddenly, I knew exactly what I wanted to say.

"Troy, I care about you too, just not in a romantic way. I don't want this breakup to affect us, though. We shouldn't be moping around; we should be out looking for new people. But while we're looking, I still want us to be friends. Nothing more and nothing less."

He gave his boyish grin and took my hands into his. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear. You're friendship means so much to me."

I opened my mouth to reply, but instead of my voice I heard the shrill, angry voice I had come to recognize. "Bolton!" she roared, heels clicking on the tile floor as she approached. Within a few seconds, the Evans twins were standing next to us. Sharpay gave me yet another icy glare before turning to Troy. "What is taking you so long? I'm ready to go home and you're just standing around talking! Take me home, _now_!" she yelled, turning and walking away as quickly as she had come. I smiled weakly at the two guys left standing in front of me.

"Wow, I'd hate to be either of you," I said, glancing down the other hall. Taylor would be back soon, and my mom was probably already waiting in the parking lot. "I should get going, and it'd probably be best if you guys did the same. Troy, I'm glad we had our conversation, short as it was, and it's nice to know we have things straight now." He nodded and I waved as I started down the hall. Just before I was out of earshot, I called over my shoulder, "I'll talk to you later, Ryan!"

In the split second before I completely turned away, I saw a change in Troy's face. It was so small, a miniscule twitch, but I noticed it because it was exactly what I wanted to see. Even though he wouldn't show it after the pleasant conversation that had recently taken place between the two of us, he was jealous. I had a good feeling Sharpay would feel the same way later on that afternoon, and that was just what I was aiming for.

**Sodagirl Says**: Hmm, it seems like Gabriella has something up her sleeve:P You'll have to wait for the next chapter to see what happens! Hopefully that will be up a lot faster than this one was! It's kind of weird, because this chapter is so short but it took so long to get up. But, like I said before, I had a lot going on. And I know this chapter and the last one were not that interesting (at least I didn't think they were, but that's just me. Maybe you liked them, though?), but something dramatic-ful is coming within the next few chapters! Just not the next one, even though there's a little bit of a mini-drama going on in there. But besides that, some major drama is coming through pretty soon! And we're almost halfway through the story! Well, sort of. Like I said, it's going to be 20 chapters, so in a few more we'll be halfway there. :D

Okay, so keep reading this story, and check out my new one-shot when I upload it tomorrow (Tuesday), _Soaring_! It's a Troypay, so all you who started reading this for the Troypay should go check it out:D It's not _the_ best fic ever, but I had the idea and I just _had_ to try it out!

Oh, and for a random moment, the other day I was watching Lingo on the Game Show Network 'cause there was nothing else on, and there were these two guys. One was named Chad, and his teammate person's name was Danforth. I was like, "Woah, Chad Danforth." :P I just had to share that story with you. Please review now:D 3 hotsodagirl


	8. Honestly

Flame of my Heart

by hotsodagirl

**Summary**: A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre**: Romance/Drama

**Rating**: T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says**: Thanks again for all the awesome reviews!

**Ethereal-Aria**: Wow, thank you! Yes, I LOVE Ryan and Gabriella together! It's so cute! And yeah, I didn't used to like Troypay either but it grew on me. I didn't like Ryella at first either :P But now I love both. Especially Ryella because I love Ryan and, just like you said, he needs to be loved. :D

**My BFF**: Yes, thanks for the many compliments you give me every time we talk about stories. Yours was pretty good too, but it's too bad you can't get an account on here because you don't have a e-mail:(

**ethereal tear**: Awesome! I _love_ getting long reviews:P It's always fun. And thank you, I do feel proud for being able to write at my age. Sometimes I read it and I'm like, "This sounds really bad" but then I guess it's not so bad after all. And yes, I am feeling much better now, thank you! ;)

**XXTroypay-4EVAXX**: Yay! I'm glad you got an FFN account! Yes, even though we all know Sharpay has a softer side, it's fun to make her mean. And I love Ryella too! They _are_ meant to be! And yeah, that Lingo thing was so weird. I saw the Chad guy first and I was like, HSM! And then the other guy said his name was Danforth and I was like Woah O.o :P Yeah, we want to make a shirt like that because we love Ryan :D

**Ashley's Fool**: Thanks for reading! You write awesome stories BTW:D

**xxAnnaxx**: Yeah, I love your fic, or whatever we want to call it. I'll say collection of oneshots because that's what it is and they're all so good! So I review every time!

**xofalling2deep**: Yeah, summer reading is _not_ fun! I'm about done with The Hobbit but I still have those other two:(

**TheMissingFrame**: Good job, you spelled the word "with" wrong. But I forgive you because you were tired after your double shift :D "I BAKE!" That was hillarious!

**palindrome713**: You had to write danforths over and over again? That's... strange :P Thanks for reading!

**ELM-Tree10**: No, Gabriella is not going to make Troy and Ryan suffer. She's going to... well, you'll find out some more in this chapter.

**ohsnapers**: Yeah, I didn't want Troy and Gabriella to hate each other so I decided to let them be nice, but definitely not get back together. Troy and Sharpay will get together soon though:D

**Other Reviewers**: _Shoelace 22, DeGeAsSiMyAnTiDrUg, AtSundown22, zashly 358_

Also, a BIG thanks to the following people for reviewing my new one-shot, _Swing_: My BFF, TheMissingFrame, AtSundown22, catchastar, thee' crazii one, Mrs. Radcliffe-Efron, Harada Risa, our-memories, savana, zashly 358, kb2121, A Dawn Delivery, knick-knack-15, Ashley's Fool, turboman, xxAnnaxx, Double Trouble, CheeseFries101.5, StoryBee, Suite Life ZC, coolmarauders, Dreamer fishin for stars, xofalling2deep, myxbeautifulxlove, SoftballRoxMySox123, XXTroypay-4EVAXX, XoZac-EfronOx, xo.Broken Promises, Sango A.R, mariana-hsm, and Sharpay. I had no idea I would get that many reviews so I'm very proud of myself and grateful to all the nice reviewers out there! Extra big thanks to those that have already been reading this story, then went and reviewed my one-shot too! 3

Sorry for the slight delay with this chapter; it's that darn summer reading that's keeping me from typing as much as I wanted. _The Hobbit_ was absolute torture trying to get through because I'm just not a big fan of the fantasy/_Lord of the Rings_ stuff. But I finally got through it and now I'm reading a book called _Ender's Game_. I, personally, think it is a really interesting book, but that may be because it's set in the future and I always find it interesting to read those kinds of books. Just be glad I got this up today, because I worked long and hard last night finishing and revising it. If it hadn't been up today, it wouldn't have been up until probably Thursday because tomorrow my BFF and I are going to Hurricane Harbor! I know, we keep going places, but we're just trying to enjoy our summer while it's still here! However, I'm pretty sure this is the last place we're going, aside from maybe the mall or something. But the mall wouldn't really interfere with my writing, with the exception of tax free weekend :D

Speaking of summer and school and such, so I go back to school on the 29th, so after this chapter I'll probably only be able to update once, maybe twice, before I have to go back. I am about to start high school and I'm taking 3 Pre-AP classes, so I really can't say how often I'll update once I'm back in school because I really don't know how much homework and stuff I'll have to do. I'll still try to update every week. If I have tons of homework and stuff, I'll work at typing as much as I can during the weekend, but I don't think it'll be too big of a deal. I'm pretty good about finishing my work pretty quickly, not to mention we have A/B day schedule, so when that time comes I'll probably be updating every Sunday, possibly Monday if I need extra time to finish. But that's in the future and we really don't need to worry about all that until the time comes. And for a random note that no one really cares about, I have some really cute outfits to wear! claps

By the way, in Sharpay's diary, at the end of it she says something about a random chihuahua accident, and I just threw that in there because I have a chihuahua and I don't like it, probably because before her we had another chihuahua that I _also_ didn't like. So I thought I'd say something about a demonic chihuahua :D

Also, this chapter is mostly about Ryella. In fact, all of it is. So for all you Ryella lovers, you'll probably like this chapter. There's some semi-cute stuff going on and all, so... yeah. I already told my BFF what happens with them in this chapter because she slept over on Thursday, I think, and we were listening to my Cartel CD and I was just like, "This is what's going to happen." I didn't tell her the whole thing but I told her part of it. Also, I think I said there would be a mini-drama in this chapter. Well, there's not because I decided to stop the chapter a little early and put the mini-drama in the next chapter. I think this chapter is okay, but I think the reason that I don't usually like my chapters is because I like a lot of drama, and when I don't have a lot of drama I don't like it. Which is weird, because when other stories don't have drama I don't care either way, but for some reason I don't like it when my chapters don't have drama. Oh well, apparently they're fairly good chapters anyway.

Oh, and if you haven't figured it out yet, I still don't own High School Musical. And sadly, I don't own any of the people _in_ HSM either. Wouldn't that be fun though:P And I also don't own Cartel or the song "Honestly," or any of their other songs. I do love these guys though; their CD _Chroma_ is really good! They have a lot of good songs but, even though it is their most popular song right now, "Honestly" seemed to fit the storyline better than any of the other songs. But you'll get to that part later.

Why do I always have such long author's notes? Seriously, I don't think they're supposed to be that long. :P Anyways, here is chapter eight!

Chapter Eight: Honestly

_Gabriella's Diary_

_Dear Diary,_

_It's Wednesday morning, 1:00 a.m. You will never guess why I am awake right now, so I'll tell you. I just got off the phone with Ryan. Yes, Ryan Evans. He is such an amazing person, and so entertaining to talk to! I had no idea how long we had been talking until Taylor woke up and told me it was one in the morning, so I was forced to say goodbye. Now I can't wait until we go to school later so I can see him and, if everything went the way I hoped it would, his miserable sister. I mean, I'm not using Ryan just to ruin his sister's life, because he's so nice. But the way I see it, why not use the things you have in life to seek your revenge? I've seen how close they are, so I'm guessing Sharpay will get really mad at the fact that her brother may be focusing his attention on a girl that's not her. If all goes well, school will be very satisfying today._

_Ugh, now Taylor's bugging me to turn off the light. She's probably glad her parents will be home by the time school lets out today and she won't have to spend any more sleepless nights at my house. :P By the way, her birthday is this Friday, and she's having a huge party at her house. It will be so fun. Talk to you later!_

_xoxo,_

_Gabriella_

_Sharpay's Diary_

_Dear Diary,_

_It's Wednesday, after school, and this week has been complete and utter hell, starting with me burning down the house thanks to my stupid parents! Okay, so maybe Monday wasn't so bad because Troy and Gabriella broke up, but it's not like I planned that! Gabriella completely overreacted about Troy kissing me, but I needed the comfort! My parents are divorcing! I have no idea why, but for some reason I hoped that maybe that kiss meant something to Troy. But then on Tuesday I overheard him talking to his friends. He doesn't like me at all, yet at the same time he acts like he does! I hate him so much. He has no idea how much he's hurting me when he plays with my feelings like that. And believe it or not, that's not even the worst part of my week. Gabriella is crushing on Ryan! She hasn't straight come out and said anything yet, but it's just so obvious! What makes it worse is that Ryan likes her back, I know he does! Get this, last night she called at about six or so, just after dinner, and they were on the phone until one o'clock in the morning! Not to mention they were practically flirting all day long. They talked to each other through the whole lunch period, as if no one else was at the table but them! What could they possibly have to talk about? More importantly, why isn't she depressed? She should be depressed! She caught her boyfriend making out with a girl who is a hundred times prettier than her! And since I'm that girl, why am I the depressed one? Ugh, I hate her too! I hope she gets in some sort of random demon chihuahua accident and dies!_

_Toodles,_

_Sharpay_

Gabriella's POV

I woke up Thursday morning at 6:00 am, the same time as always. I sat up sleepily and yawned, a smile on my face at the memory of the dream I had just awoken from. I'll admit, things were going crazy in my life. At the beginning of the week I had thought I was happily in love with Troy Bolton, but now I dreamt of Ryan every night, and several times during the day. The only problem was that I had no idea what he thought of me. I knew he at least thought of me as a friend, but I wanted more than that. If he were to think of me as more than a friend, I would be the happiest girl on the planet, and I'd be made even happier knowing how much I would hurt his sister. Sadly, things like that only happened in my daydreams, which I had recently been falling into more often than I ever had before. I sighed and closed my eyes, feeling tempted to fall back to my bed and my dreams of Ryan Evans.

However, just before giving in to this alluring enticement, I heard my phone ring. Clicking the lamp next to my bed, I grabbed my cell and looked to see who was calling. _RYAN EVANS._ I instantly perked up at the sight of his picture and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey Gabriella."

"Hey Ryan! What's up? I thought you _never_ woke up this early."

"I normally don't, but I remembered you did and I needed to ask you something."

"Yeah?"

He paused for a moment, and then sighed. "I think it'd be a lot easier if I could talk to you in person. Would you mind getting to school early and meeting me in the theater?"

I grinned, enthusiastic at the thought of spending extra time with Ryan before school. "Sure! That would be great. But... don't you have to ride with Troy and Sharpay? I mean, I don't think they'll want to be there early, especially your sister. She doesn't seem to like me very much." _'Which was exactly my plan from the beginning.'_ I added as an afterthought in my head.

"I'll think of some way to convince them. I'll see you then, okay?"

"Okay. Bye Ryan!" I hung up the phone and squealed in excitement. Quickly calming myself, I dialed in Taylor's number and pressed the call button. When she answered, I explained that I needed her and Chad to come pick me up early because I was meeting up with a friend.

"Ooh, a friend, hm? And does that friend's name happen to be Ryan Evans?"

I felt my face flush and a glance in the mirror affirmed that it had turned a deep red at the mention of his name. "Maybe."

Taylor laughed at the other end. "Okay, I'll see what I can do. Let me warn you, Chad probably won't be too happy at having to wake up early, but I think he'll do it if I tell him to."

"Thanks, Taylor. You are a life saver!" After finishing my second phone call, I opened my closet and pondered on what to wear. I wanted to look nice, since Ryan _was_ going to be the first person I saw, but I didn't want it to seem obvious that I had dressed to impress him. I finally settled on a turquoise tank top under a thin white button-up shirt with a short denim skirt and white flip flops. Before putting my outfit on, I took a quick shower and dried my hair, letting it curl naturally like it did every day. Once my head was completely dry, I parted my hair over to the left and worked at putting on my make-up. I was soon pleased and stuffed my books and homework into my bag. I then rushed down the stairs and into the kitchen, where my mom sat eating a bowl of cereal.

"Morning Mom!" I said cheerfully, grabbing a blueberry bagel from the refrigerator.

"Good morning, honey. You're in an extremely good mood today."

"Yes I am!" I smiled as I spread grape jelly over the bagel and stuck it into the toaster oven. "I am leaving early for school today because I am going to talk with a really cute guy."

My mother laughed. "I'm just glad you were able to get over Troy so quickly. So who is this cute guy?"

"Well, his name is Ryan and he-" I heard the familiar car horn honk from outside. "Oh, I gotta go! I'll see you later Mom!" I grabbed my blueberry bagel and a napkin, and then gave my mom a quick hug.

"Love you, sweetheart! I might not be home until later, though. I'm going out on a date with my boyfriend."

"Hmm, you've been out with this new guy almost every night for the past two weeks. When do I get to meet him?"

"How about Sunday night? I'll make us a nice dinner."

"Sounds great!" I heard the horn honk again. "I'm coming!" I called, even though they probably couldn't hear me, as I headed out the door. I slid into the backseat of Chad's car, dropping my bag in the seat next to mine and holding the bagel in my mouth. I waved at my two friends in the mirror, a smile still on my face.

"Someone's way too perky," Chad mumbled as he pulled out of the driveway.

"Shut up, you're just irritable because you've never woken up at six before," Taylor retorted, causing her boyfriend's face to twist in confusion.

"I don't even _know _what irritable means," he said, perplexed. Taylor and I giggled. A similar conversation came up almost every time the two of them were together, but I guess that's to be expected when one of the smartest girls in the school dates the basketball player with the least amount of brains. Most of the time, this particular morning included, he would just shake his head and say, "You girls are a mystery."

Soon enough, we pulled into the school parking lot. I tossed the last bite of my bagel into my mouth and picked my bag up once again, hopping out of the car the instant it stopped. "Thanks again, you guys. I can't wait until I get my own license and I don't have to get rides from all my friends. I'll see you in homeroom!"

I ran into the school as fast as I could, which actually wasn't that fast, and almost immediately found my way to the doorway to the theater. I hesitated before going inside, stopping just long enough to smooth my hair and make sure I still looked as good as I did when I left the house. Once satisfied with my appearance, I took a deep breath and walked into the theater. Unlike the many times I had been in here for 'Twinkle Towne' rehearsals, the place was empty. There were no sets on the stage, no people in the audience, and no drama queen bossing everyone around. That last part pleased me the most as I walked down an aisle, looking around and enjoying the unnatural stillness. I didn't notice when Ryan appeared from backstage, which made his voice an even more pleasant surprise.

"Gabriella, hey!" I turned my head to the stage and smiled.

"Hey there, stranger!" I joked. A few days ago that statement would have actually been true, but now that we talked so much, both at school and on the phone, it was almost funny. He laughed and held out his hand to me as I reached the stairs, knowing by now all about my tendency to fall at inconvenient times. I accepted his help, giving him a nod of thanks once my feet were sturdily on the stage. Just by looking his way, I was immediately drawn in to his brilliant blue eyes, something that had become a routine happening each time we met. This one look was all I needed to remind myself that something was on his mind.

"So... you wanted to ask me something?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I just don't know how to say it."

I tilted my head in puzzlement. "What do you mean?"

"Well... haven't you ever had that feeling where you really wanted to tell someone something, but you were afraid of what they might think?" I giggled and looked down at my feet.

"Yeah, I have." _'In fact, I have that feeling right now. I want to tell you how much I want us to be more than friends, but I'm so afraid you don't feel the same way and you'll think I'm weird for ever suggesting it.'_ Of course I didn't say what I was thinking, no matter how much I wanted to.

"Then you should know exactly how hard it is for me to say this." He took my hands, entwining his fingers with mine. "I just want you to know that the past few days we've spent together have been great, and I want us to be friends no matter what."

I was only able to nod, feeling the blush crawl onto my cheeks from his touch. He looked offstage and pointed to something. I turned and only then did I realize there was a freshman girl off in the wings. On his cue, she hit the play button on the stereo sitting next to her and suddenly music filled the theater. I looked back to Ryan, still confused about what was going on, and he just smiled as he began singing.

_Please don't mind what I'm trying to say  
__'Cause I'm, I'm being honest  
__When I tell you that you  
__You're part of the reason I'm so set  
__On the rest of my life being a part of you  
__Tell me what you think about being open  
__About being honest with yourself  
__'Cause things will never be the same_

_So I guess I'll see you  
__I'll see you around  
__I'm spinning while I'm falling down  
__Now you know why I'm begging you to stay_

_Don't waste time getting to the point  
__'Cause I'm, I'm patiently waiting  
__For your next phone call  
__The next excuse for losing sleep again  
__Tell me what you think about being open  
__About being honest with yourself  
__'Cause things will never be the same_

_So I guess I'll see you  
__I'll see you around  
__I'm spinning while I'm falling down  
__Now you know why I'm begging you to stay  
__'Cause I can't stop it now  
__It's so amazing how  
__I know I can't  
__I could never walk away_

_How can we resolve this now?  
__We let it go then wonder how  
__This can ever be the same  
__You'll never be the same_

_So I guess I'll see you  
__I'll see you around  
__I'm spinning while I'm falling down  
__Now you know why I'm begging you  
__I'm begging  
__'Cause I can't stop it now  
__It's so amazing how  
__I know I can't  
__I could never walk away_

_Please don't mind what I'm trying to say  
__'Cause I'm, I'm being honest_

I was still too stunned to speak. _'This can't be happening,' _I thought as Ryan moved closer to me, our faces only inches apart. "Gabriella," he began. "You are the most amazing girl I have ever met. You're smart, you're beautiful, and... Even though I love being your friend, and this probably sounds crazy to you, but... I want us to be more than that. I want you to be my girlfriend."

I looked up at him, shocked. "Really?" I asked, hopefully. _'Ryan feels the same way about us as I do! I must still be dreaming...' _But, luckily for me, it wasn't a dream. It was real.

"Yeah," he said. "I know we've only been hanging out for a couple of days so this seems really rushed, but you mean more to me than anything else has before." I smiled, despite the fact that my face was probably crimson by now.

"I feel the same about you," I said, somehow able to hold a steady voice while the whole time I felt like I might pass out. His face lit up at my statement.

"So does that mean you want to try it? Being a couple?" I grinned and nodded. He held out his arms and, giggling, I jumped eagerly into his embrace. His hands went to my waist, catching me, while I wrapped my legs around his for support and my arms around his neck. My hair tumbled over my shoulders as I let my head fall forward, our foreheads touching. I tilted my head ever so slightly as our lips drew closer together. Just before they met, however, the bell rang, and our faces quickly drew apart.

"We should get to homeroom," I said softly, receiving a nod in reply. I hopped back down to the stage and walked to the stairs where I had previously dropped my messenger bag. I kneeled to grab it and Ryan passed by me, holding out his hand once again. I smiled and allowed him to help me safely move from the stage to solid ground. He put his arm around my shoulders and we began walking up the aisle and gently kissed the side of my head. Neither of us had to say another word because we both knew what the other was thinking, but even if we hadn't there was no time for words. We passed through the theater exit in no time and were greeted presently by a multitude of surprised stares. I normally would have freaked out, but for some reason I didn't really care about any of the pairs of eyes that landed upon us. Even so, there was one person that I couldn't help but smirk at as we passed her in the hall. Her name was Sharpay Evans.

Sharpay's POV

_'That little... ugh, how DARE she look at me that way!'_ I glared when I saw Gabriella Montez walk out from the theater with my brother's arm around her. She smirked, thinking she had been victorious in an unspoken battle between the two of us. But really, she was acting like a selfish brat. She couldn't take the fact that her previous boyfriend had kissed me, so she thought she could get back at me by dating my brother. She obviously wanted _me_ to feel some sort of jealous rage because of the fact that the only guy who had always been there for me was paying attention to another girl, and it was working! My mind was in an immeasurable fury and I simply may have followed after and strangled her if Troy hadn't reappeared by my side at that moment.

"What's with you?" he asked. I turned, my eyes gleaming with ferocity.

"This is all your fault!" I yelled, stomping on his foot before swiftly turning the other way and going into Ms. Darbus' room. I was revolted to see Gabriella sitting atop Ryan's desk, her fingers laced with his as they talked and laughed about something I was unaware of. My fury grew at this sight and I marched over to the duo.

"What do you think you're doing!" I demanded as I interrupted their nice little conversation. Both turned to me, Gabriella feigning a tone and manner of apologetic sadness.

"We were just talking. I really don't want to cause any trouble between you two so I'll just go..." She stood to depart for her own desk, but Ryan reached out and took her hand once more. He obviously couldn't see through her act as I had. _'Or maybe you're just making things up to make Gabriella seem like the bad girl,'_ my conscience said. I told it to shut up and continued to send an icy glare at the brunette as she and my brother held a small conversation.

"Gabriella, don't worry. There's no trouble between us," he said, causing me to roll my eyes. _'Of course there's trouble between us, you idiotic moron! You're dating my worst enemy! How is that not trouble!'_

Gabriella shook her head. "No, it's okay. The bell's about to ring anyway. I'll see you after class." She leaned down and gave him a small kiss on the cheek, not unlike the one she had given him two days before, and then walked to her seat in the back of the row. I huffed and sat in my chair, crossing my arms. Not even two seconds had passed when I heard Ryan's voice behind me.

"What's your problem, Shar?" He sounded just as irritated as I was. I twisted the upper half of my body around so I was facing him, the icy glare still fixed across my features.

"What's my _problem_! My problem is that-"

"Sharpay Evans!" Before I got the chance to vent, Ms. Darbus called my name and waved a small piece of paper in my direction. "You're wanted in the office."

I sighed angrily, standing and snatching the hall pass away from the older lady. I stomped out of the room and down the hallway, my heels clicking loudly and echoing in the empty corridor. _'Why does everything have to be so increasingly frustrating as the week goes on? My parents divorce, Troy Bolton kisses me but doesn't like me, and now Ryan and Gabriella have gotten together. What's going to happen next?'_

I swung open the door to the front office and was startled to see a familiar man waiting for me. He was tall, with the same blonde hair and piercing blue eyes my brother had inherited. He smiled at me as I entered, something that shocked me even more than the fact that he was currently in my presence. He never smiled in a nice way like that, and he was never sober the way he was now. I approached him slowly, my customary caution kicking in as numerous memories of threats and beatings invaded my mind. He didn't seem to notice; he only continued to display that unusually kind smile on his face.

"Hi honey," he said with a similarly kind tone to his voice.

"Dad... what are you doing here?"

**Sodagirl Says**: And that's the end of chapter eight. In the next chapter I'll include some Troypay, because I didn't put any in this one. Please leave me a review and tell me what you thought!


	9. Hypocrisy

Flame of my Heart

by hotsodagirl

**Summary**: A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre**: Romance/Drama

**Rating**: T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says**: Yay me! I now have over 100 reviews! Big thanks to all!

**My BFF**: Yoont Yoont, Corbin:P Yes, it was a good chapter, wasn't it? Because everyone loves Ryella! Well, not everyone, but we do and that's all that matters, right? lol, that's like our catch phrase or something! Yes, I told you I had to throw in the blueberry bagel with jelly! And you're my first reviewer for that chapter! Yay best friend:D It's too bad we don't have any classes together this year, but that's okay! We'll live, maybe :P

**kb2121**: Yeah, the pairings are my favorite part:D

**Ethereal-Aria**:P Don't we all want our own Ryan? lol, thank you so much! Your review really lifted my spirits. I'm glad you like my story so much! Long Live Ryan :D

**knick-knack-15**: OMG! Yay me! claps I'm glad I have a number one fan, but I think you may have a little bit of competition :P At least that's what my best friend says!

**XoZac-EfronOx**: No, actually he didn't really get custody of her yet. You'll find out what's up with him in this chapter. But if he had, she probably would have been.

**xofalling2deep**: You don't like Ryella? gasp! No, just kidding :P As long as you'll still read, you're awesome :D Yes, there is Troypay here and much more to come in future chapters!

**DeGrAsSiMyAnTiDrUg**: Ryella _is_ so cute :D Yeah, Sharpay's dad is pretty much a mean jerk in this chapter. I hate him, and I'm the one who's controlling him! But especially for what he's going to do in a future chapter... but I can't give that away now :P Yeah, Troy's an idiot, but he'll stop being so much pretty soon.

**ELM-Tree10**: Yeah, well Ryan and Sharpay are both being a little hypocritical when you think about it, hence the name of this chapter. But they'll talk it out eventually. Probably in the next chapter but you never know.

**Ashley's Fool**: Yes, we all love the Ryella :P As for the thing with Gabriella's mom, you'll just have to wait and see about that because I promised I wouldn't say anything about the future plotline... except I told my best friend one thing but that's all!

**XXTroypay-4EVAXX**: Lol, that was pretty funny, "like a fat kid loves cake," because it reminds me of this guy my sister is friends with. Well, not really, she thinks he's creepy, but he's like obsessed with her! Anyways, that's off topic. As for your theory thing, I promised myself I wouldn't tell anyone anything else about what's going to happen. Except my BFF, I told her one thing that's going to happen, but nothing else! Anyways, thanks for reading! I always love getting reviews from you!

**GizmoBunny**: Thank you for reading my story! I'm glad I was able to influence you to like the Ryella :D I am also a devoted Ryan-lover :P I hope you continue to enjoy my story!

**xxAnnaxx**: Yeah, I'm sorry. Originally, I was going to have Troypay in this chapter but, like I said, I moved that part to this chatper, so there will _definitely_ be some in here :D

**Fangirl44**:P Sorry! But I just had to throw in a cliffhanger there. Don't worry, there won't be a ton of those in this story!

**Other Reviewers**: _StoryBee, Shoelace22_

Okay, this was a little late but that was because on the day I planned on putting this up I hadn't quite finished when I got online. Then my BFF came over and then I finished it on Tuesday, but it hadn't been revised yet so it was delayed once more. But I already have part of Chapter Ten typed up because after I revised it I worked on the next chapter so I think chapter ten will be up by at least Monday but possibly before that. Because Tuesday is when I have to go back to school and I want to have the next chapter up before that happens.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Like I said, there's a little mini-drama here in the beginning. The next chapter is going to be really good though! Well not really. I mean, it'll be a good dramatic chapter but the dramatic thing is bad... oh well, you'll find out when chapter ten is posted! Until then, you can read chapter nine. Have fun:D

**Chapter Nine: Hypocrisy**

**Sharpay's POV**

"Dad... what are you doing here?"

He chuckled. "Don't you remember, Shar?" I narrowed my eyes at him. _'That's Ryan's nickname for me, and no one else's.'_

"Apparently I don't, so again I repeat: What are you doing here?" My tone grew louder as I spoke, causing many of the office assistants and staff to look over to us with concern on their faces. My father smiled at them and led me out of the office, his voice coming forcefully enough to allow the others to hear him.

"Don't tell me you forgot about your dentist appointment!" I rolled my eyes, surprised that the people in the office had actually believed him as they went back to their work. Once he was sure no one was suspicious, my father put his arm around me and made for the door. I only allowed him to guide me a short distance away from the building before I shrugged his arm away and stepped in front of him, hindering his movement. His face became less cheerful and a bit angrier at this, but he said nothing. I, on the other hand, had much to say and questions I wanted answered.

"You know, _Dad_, the office aides may be stupid, but I'm not. I just had an appointment last month, and even if I hadn't _why_ would you come pick me up for it before my first class even started? Now I want to know your _real_ purpose in being here."

To my amazement, this tiny show of attitude didn't set my father off like it normally would have. Instead, he stared at me with a strangely pleading look. "Listen, honey... I can understand that you're mad, but I have a deal for you. I'm going to quit drinking, I really am, and I want to try to be more of a father to you."

I crossed my arms. "That might be kind of hard, considering the fact that you just divorced my mother. You can't be my father if you're off with another woman who, by the way, I still haven't met."

"You can meet her, if you'll come stay with me at my apartment."

I took a step back. "_Apartment_! What apartment!"

"This is why I came to get you. I'm moving out of the Bolton family's home and into a nice spacious apartment across town. I want you to come with me because you're my daughter and I love you."

"What about Ryan?" The only answer I was given was silence, so I asked again. "What about Ryan? I won't go anywhere without him."

"That isn't possible, Shar, because-"

"Don't call me that. Ryan's the only one who can call me that."

"Okay, _Sharpay_. The apartment only has two bedrooms, so there's only room for us."

I shook my head. "Ryan and I are sharing a room right now in Troy's house. If I went with you, we could still share a room."

My father sighed. "Okay, here's the thing. I don't like your brother. I've always wanted a son like the ones all my buddies have; a son that's athletic and likes to play sports. Not one that spends his time dancing in musicals."

I glared at him, putting my left hand on my hip. "What's so bad about that? All those sports guys are jerks! Would you rather have a jerk than the son you already have? Besides, one of our basketball players was in the last musical."

"I know that, but he has a girlfriend."

My mouth fell open and I could only gape at him for a few seconds. "Are you calling my brother _gay_?"

"Well-" I didn't give him the chance to answer. I slapped my father across the face, leaving a red mark in the shape of a hand on his cheek and small pricks at the end of every finger mark, a thin line of blood beginning to ooze from each one. His own hand flew up to his face, lightly touching the discolored area. But hurting him wasn't enough for me; I continued yelling at him.

"I'll have you know that Ryan _has_ a girlfriend! Mr. Wonder Jerk, on the other hand, is the guy who is currently single! So you should think twice about what you say because my brother is amazing at what he does, and if you can't see that then you're obviously a blind idiot!"

After the last part of my sentence, my father looked up at me ferociously and I knew I had made a mistake. Adding insult to injury was the biggest error you could make with this man, especially being his daughter. When I was little I had learned the hard way that you never talk back to Michael Evans, but in my outrage I had forgotten all about that. Now he was furious, and I didn't even have the chance to react to his sudden mood change. His fist suddenly shot out, slugging me in the stomach. I doubled over, giving him the chance to attack again. He grabbed me by the shoulders and threw me against the nearest car. I hit the trunk, bouncing against it and falling to the gravel below. Before I was able to stand, he had taken hold of my hair and began pulling me across the uneven pavement towards his car. I screamed, both from the pain of my hair practically being ripped from my head and from the sting in my legs as I felt my skin start to tear as gravel scraped it and pushed up underneath it. I saw blood, more blood than I had ever seen come from my own body. I shut my eyes and hoped, prayed, for someone to save me. Suddenly, like an answer to my thoughts, I heard a male voice from the school entrance.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" I suppose my father listened to this mysterious voice, for upon hearing it he instantly released me and ran for his car. He quickly peeled out of the parking lot, leaving me alone aside from the man who had saved me. I heard his footsteps approaching. He must have been running because he was at my side in a matter of seconds.

"Sharpay, are you okay?" he asked, helping to sit me upright by cradling the upper half of my body in his arms. I opened my eyes and saw it was Troy Bolton. In that split second, all the pressure, all the stress that had been building like a wave slowly growing throughout the week seemed to crash down around me. My face crumpled and I sobbed as tears began to pour out of my eyes. Troy held my head to his chest and rocked me back and forth, trying to comfort me. It was like Monday night all over again, when I had first found out about my parents' divorce. The recalling of that memory only made me cry harder because I knew Troy was just being a good neighbor again. He didn't care for me at all.

Or did he? I looked up at him; he looked down at me, and it was hard to tell what he really thought. Before I was able to even think about what was happening, our lips met just as they had a few nights before, only this time we didn't get quite so aggressive. This time our kiss lasted only seconds before I regained my senses and reluctantly broke the contact between us. I didn't move my head at all; I only separated our lips enough so they weren't touching but our faces remained the same distance apart.

"Why do you do this to me?" I whispered, my lips tingling each time they brushed against his as I spoke. "Why do you pretend to like me when in truth you can't stand to be around me? Why do you enjoy playing with my feelings?"

His face drew back with a confused look, then smiled weakly and laughed. "Is that why you've been so mean to me the past few days? Because for some strange reason you've come to think I despise you as much as you seem to despise me?"

"The only reason I despise you is because of what you're doing to me!"

"What I'm doing to you! What about what _you're _doing to _me_?"

"What?"

"Sharpay, I don't know why you think I hate you, but obviously you've misunderstood something."

"Then tell me the truth!" I heard the bell to go to first period and Troy shook his head, sighing.

"Never mind," he said, almost hesitantly

He stood and tried to help me to my feet, as useless an attempt as it was. I had almost forgotten about what my father had been doing before Wonder Boy arrived, but the pain in my legs reminded me of every single second. I staggered the instant I tried to stand on my own and fell into his arms. Without a word, he kneeled down and put one arm under my bleeding and battered legs, the other still supporting my back, and picked me up using almost no effort. I wrapped my arms around his neck and, just before he turned so he was facing the school, I caught a glimpse of two figures standing in the doorway. Sighing, I let my head rest on Troy's chest and closed my eyes once more. I could feel the burning rage begin to surge inside of me once more, but what I felt weren't just _my_ emotions. I could feel everyone's emotions, because everyone was feeling the same thing. Jealousy.

By the time we entered the school and headed for the nurse's office, the figures had disappeared and I didn't see either one until later on. _'But they both saw us out there. I don't know how long they were there, but surely they saw how beat up I was. Do they not even care? I'm sure Gabriella doesn't one way or another, but Ryan...? Why would he leave without checking to make sure I was okay? Is he that jealous of Troy? He wouldn't be that hypocritical... would he?'_

-----------

**Ryan's POV**

"Sharpay Evans! You're wanted in the office."

Sharpay sighed, stood, and snatched the paper away from Mrs. Darbus before stomping angrily out of the room. As much as I loved my sister, I was extremely annoyed with her and I was actually thankful that she had an excuse to leave. It gave me the chance to calm myself so I wouldn't blow up at her if we were to get in a fight. We had never fought before, except for small meaningless arguments when we were little, but lately things had been changing. Things had been getting tenser and tenser between us ever since our parents had told us they were divorcing. I was probably the only one that noticed, though. After all, to the school she was forever the "Ice Queen." She was still just as cold as she had always been to them, but she had never turned that icy attitude on me until a few days ago.

I glanced over to where Troy was sitting, to the left of where Sharpay normally was. I couldn't help but think that he would eventually be involved in all of this, if he wasn't already. In fact, maybe he was the one that had started it all. The night we learned about our parents was the same night Gabriella caught him kissing my sister and broke up with him. The next day was when the tension really started forming, when Sharpay suddenly had an attitude with everyone. As the days passed, the pressure seemed to build even more and I had a feeling it wouldn't be long now until something really bad happened.

Mrs. Darbus went to the front of the room and began droning on about one thing or another; no one was really paying attention anyway. As she talked, she scanned her eyes over the class, quickly taking roll without having to call out names. When she saw Sharpay's empty desk, she stopped mid-sentence. I realized my sister's trip to the office was taking longer than it should be, considering the office was right up the hall, and Mrs. Darbus did too. She quickly filled out the attendance strip in her hand and handed it to the closest student, who just happened to be Troy Bolton.

"Take these to the office, Mr. Bolton, and see what is taking Sharpay so long while you're there." He nodded and quickly left the room. I looked at Sharpay's desk again and felt a knot form in my stomach. They say twins can communicate telepathically, or at least feel what the other is feeling, and I knew from the overwhelming sense of dread that came over me that something wasn't right. Something had happened to her. She was hurt somehow.

I raised my hand and asked if I could also go and find the reason for Sharpay's delay, since she was _my_ sister. I got the approval I wanted and departed from the room even more quickly than Troy had. I was soon in the lobby, looking out through the glass over the parking lot. I was completely shocked as I saw my father's car speeding away, leaving behind my scared and bleeding sister on the ground. Troy ran to her, held her, and she started crying. Few seconds had passed before they were kissing, and I there was a stab in my heart like a knife. I felt even more compassion for my girlfriend, who had to see almost the same exact scene three nights earlier. If it hurt me this much to see my sister kiss a guy, I knew it must have killed her to see her boyfriend kiss another girl.

Troy and Sharpay broke apart and I saw them talking, my sister's face changing from sad to mad to confused with the little time that passed before the bell rang. Students poured out into the halls but I didn't move. Almost immediately I felt someone's hand on my arm and I didn't have to look over to know that it was Gabriella.

"What's going on?" she asked worriedly. I shrugged and turned away from the doors.

"I don't know."

"Don't you want to see if your sister is okay? She looked like she was hurt pretty badly."

"I think Troy's got it handled." My voice came out irritable and Gabriella looked up at me questionably. I knew what she was silently asking, _'Are you jealous?'_, but I couldn't find the words to respond. I knew the answer was yes, but I didn't know why. She didn't push me to answer; she only leaned her head against my shoulder and we walked to our next class without saying another word about it.

-----------

**Gabriella's POV**

I had English first period, but I had absolutely no chance of concentrating on the book we were supposed to be reading when all I could think about was what had just happened. The thing that bothered me most was that there was _definitely _something going on that made me feel left out, but I had no idea what it was. As much as I hated Sharpay, it's not like it made me cheerful at seeing her so torn up. If anything, I felt kind of sorry for her. She _was_ my boyfriend's sister after all, but that was another thing that troubled me. Ryan hardly seemed concerned about his sister when I saw him. He had looked a little worried when he left homeroom, but by the time the bell had rung he looked fine. Jealous, if anything. But he wasn't the only one with those feelings. It was hard to explain why I felt it. Just this morning, the guy of my dreams had asked me out. So why was I so jealous when I saw Troy helping Sharpay? I was completely over him, but I still hated seeing them together. They weren't even a couple yet! How would I feel if they actually got together? I had no reason to be jealous of their relationship, and yet I was undeniably envious.

The class passed slowly, but the bell finally rang after what seemed like hours. I threw the book into my bag and met Ryan at the door, smiling when I felt his arm slip around my waist. We walked out into the hall, and then stopped. Here was where we would have to split ways and go to our separate classes. I had French, which was usually torture. The instructor's name was Whatley, a fat smelly old man who could barely hear a word, so he just gave us a quiz every day. Thinking about this, I was joyful when my boyfriend spoke and offered an alternative.

"I'm going to the nurse's office to check on Sharpay. I'm pretty sure she's okay, but I'd like to be positive and find out what happened. Do you want to come with me? Mrs. Cooper can write you a tardy pass."

"Anything to get out of Whatley's class." We both laughed and walked down the halls slowly, arriving outside the nurse's door about a minute before the bell rang. Just before we went inside, Mrs. Cooper stepped out and smiled at us.

"Oh, hello you two! Here to check up on Sharpay?" Ryan nodded. "Good. Go ahead and go inside, I have a couple of things I need to do but I'll be back soon."

We went in and, hearing our voices, Sharpay turned her head from where she lay on the plastic covered bed-type thing. I was surprised to see Troy still with her, sitting in a chair right next to her. I could tell Ryan was just as surprised as I was and possibly even annoyed, but he did his best not to show it.

"Hey Shar," he said, purposefully ignoring Troy. "How're you feeling?"

She looked over at the wall and crossed her arms. "Oh, you care now?"

"I cared from the beginning, but your boyfriend seemed to have things under control."

She scoffed and glared at him. "He's not my boyfriend!"

Ryan shook his head. "If you say so. So, what's the official story?"

"What?"

"What story did you tell the nurse to explain what happened to you? What are you planning on telling everyone else instead of the truth?"

"I don't need to tell you that right now."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not _her_ business!" Sharpay yelled, shifting her glare to me on the word _her_. I looked around at everyone's faces and felt the sense of detachment. Whatever had happened to her wasn't an accident, and all three of them knew something about it that I didn't; something that probably no one planned on telling me. This thing had to be pretty serious, because Troy's face was grave and Ryan's was furious as he glared back and forth between the two.

"Since when is it Troy's business? If he can know, why can't Gabriella?"

"Because we live with Troy and he has a right to know! If you want your little girlfriend to be involved to badly, why don't you _show _her what this is all about? Why don't you just show her the damage you've gotten over the years?"

I was thoroughly confused about what was going on, but Sharpay's words certainly had an impact on my boyfriend. He still looked just as angry, but he was at a loss for words. Sharpay smirked, knowing she had won.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Now I refuse to talk about what happened unless Gabriella is gone."

"Shar," Ryan started, but I interrupted him.

"No, it's okay. I think you guys need to figure this out, so I'll just wait outside until Mrs. Cooper gets back so I can go to class without getting in trouble." My French class was horrible, but at least when I was there I understood everything. I went back out into the hall, but left the door open a crack as I leaned against the wall. _'I might as well listen in and try to figure out what this big secret is while I'm waiting.'_

I don't think it would have mattered if the door was all the way open or completely shut, because the twins started yelling at each other the instant I was gone. They were loud enough to where I was surprised no one else in the surrounding classrooms heard them.

"What was that?"

"I don't want her to know about this, Ryan! She doesn't need to know!"

"Troy didn't need to know either!"

"Why do you have such a big problem with him?"

"Why do you have such a big problem with Gabriella?"

"I don't."

"You're lying."

"Does it matter? Besides, I thought you hated her up until she broke up with Troy!"

"I never hated her; that was you!"

"Well you barely even know her! You've only been talking to her for two days!"

"Three."

"Oh, wow! _Big_ difference! Did you ever think that maybe you're her rebound guy?"

"Gabriella isn't like that."

"How do you know for sure?"

"Because she's nothing like _you_."

"You think I would do something like that?"

"I know you would. If you have no problem kissing a guy while he still has a girlfriend-"

"Hey! Stop!" That was Troy's voice, and the room was instantly silent as he continued on. "I've never seen you two like this. Lately it's like you're either ignoring each other or fighting. I thought you guys were really close."

"We were until she helped you cheat on your girlfriend."

"Why do you have to keep bringing that up? It was just a kiss!"

"It doesn't matter!" Troy yelled again, stopping them from fighting before they got the chance to start up again. "The point is you two need to get along so we can talk about this calmly."

"We don't need to talk about anything," Ryan said, still angry but with a little less rage. "Just tell me what really happened and what the fake story is so I can know what I'm supposed to tell everyone. Start with the reason I saw Dad's car pull out of the parking lot."

"He signed me out of the office, saying I had a 'dentist appointment,'" I could practically see Sharpay making quotation marks with her fingers. "And they actually believed him! The real reason he was there was to take me to show me his new apartment. He wanted me to go stay with him so he could be a 'real father' to me." Again, the quotation marks. "Basically..."

At this point Mrs. Cooper came from down the hall. She stopped at the door and gave me a confused look. "Gabriella, what are you doing out here?"

I quickly made up an excuse that was pretty much the truth. "They wanted to have a private conversation."

"Oh, I see. Well, I need to copy a few things, so I'll be back again in about five minutes." She continued on in the same direction and I listened through the crack again, knowing I had missed part of the story but still interested in what I could learn. Sharpay was still talking.

"...done to you, but it was still pretty bad. He got out of there as fast as he could, and the office aides were too stupid to even notice anything had happened until Troy carried me back in. We told both them and the nurse that Dad had been mistaken about my appointment and only realized it after we were in the car. So he left and as I started back towards the school I tripped and fell."

"They believed that?"

"The office aides did. Mrs. Cooper looked a little skeptical so I threw in that it was uneven ground so I slid down a little bit and tore my legs up."

Ryan paused a moment. "... She believed _that_?"

"Yeah. You know, people can be really stupid. They'll believe anything. Just don't tell anyone what really happened. That goes for you too Troy."

"I know. You guys can trust me."

"Sure we can," Ryan said sarcastically.

"Troy and I don't need your attitude, Ryan! If this is such a problem for you, why don't you just go wait outside with your girlfriend?"

Ryan didn't reply, but soon the door opened and he came out into the hall just as his sister had suggested. He slammed the door behind him and stood next to me, leaning against the wall. He looked furious, but when he looked over at me I could see from deep inside his eyes he was sad, hurt, and worried for reasons I did not know and did not plan to know until he was ready to tell me. For the moment, all he could do was pull me into his arms and hold me, silently telling me not to worry about him or his sister. I tried to believe everything was okay, but I knew I was only believing a lie.

_'What kind of horrible secret are you hiding from me, Ryan?'_

**Sodagirl Says**: Did you love that chapter? Hate it? Drop me a review and let me know your thoughts! The next chapter will most likely be up Monday, but I might have it by the weekend. You never know! If you like drama, violence, and Troypay, you'll definitely like chapter ten because it involves all of those! The violence is _very_ minor, but it's still there! So go ahead and review and I will have the next chapter up sometime before I go back to school! I might also have another one-shot up within the next few weeks, _maybe_, so keep an eye out for that:D


	10. The Party Part One

Flame of my Heart

by hotsodagirl

**Summary**: A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre**: Romance/Drama

**Rating**: T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says**: I love you awesome reviewers!

**XXTroypay-4EVAXX**:P Yeah, there are reasons to be mad at both Sharpay and Ryan. And you may get even more mad at them throughout this three-part chapter, especially Ryan. But by the end of the third part, hopefully you won't be mad anymore. Go read after the reviews to see what I'm talking about with the different parts because I don't feel like typing it up again :P I'm glad you love it! And I'm sorry it took a while to update... again, there's an explanation below that I don't feel like typing up again. I'm sick :(

**azndoll10**: Actually, yes she is! Not in this part of the chapter, but probably in the next part.

**xxAnnaxx**: Oh yeah, frosh in honors are the awesome:P Seriously, we're just cool like that. I may actually be getting out of one of them because it's World Geography and the whole social studies thing just isn't for me. I think I might have already failed my first test. But I'm still in the others that I'm good at so that's cool :D

**My BFF**: Wow, lots of hugs and kisses:D YOONT YINT CORBIN:P Yes, you will most definitely enjoy this three-part chapter. I know you will. It has some pretty good Ryella and Troypay so you'll just love it. Plus there's drama, and who doesn't like that? claps Yay me! I'm so awesome! Thanks a BUNCH! You're so awesome, too! Ryan and Gabriella really do make the cutest couple. And now I just have to say one thing: Lucas in a bubble - DIN DIN:P Okay, did you really think I was going to put up a new chapter without saying that? Oh, and one other thing: I LOVE THE LUCAS HEAD! Don't we all?

**kayk724**: Really, you thought it was one of the best:D Awesome. I hope you continue to enjoy the entire story as well because it only gets better from here! Well, worse for the characters, but better for the story... oh you'll see as the story moves along!

**Ashley's Fool**: Oh, that's okay, I don't expect everyone to review on the first day now that people are going back to school and all. Thanks for still reviewing though!

**gabrielle**: I'm really sorry but I can't grant your request :( If I could then I might change it but if she doesn't find out then the story really doesn't move along and neither will the chapter. Sorry. I'm glad you love the Troypay though!

**xleytonloverx**: Yay:D I'm always happy to get a new reader :P I hope you continue to read it through the end!

**Other Reviewers**: _#1 Sister Act Fan, Shoelace22, StoryBee, ELM-Tree10, mariana-hsm, xxCaNdY CoUnTeR GiRlxx, Chel08_

**Not reviewers**: My sister! You owe me three reviews, nast:P Just kidding, I don't really care. It would be nice, but you're already awesome for buying me magazines and CDs and Pixy Stix(gotta love those!). Love ya!

Oh wow, it's been a long time since I updated! And if you don't read at least this paragraph and you just skip to the story, you'll probably be like, _'I waited two weeks for this!'_ Basically, this chapter isn't chock-full of drama like I said it would be, there is no violence, and there is just a hint of Troypay (sort of). So here's why it's not as awesome as I said it would be - this is only part of what the original chapter was supposed to be. See, I have more than just this typed up, but I didn't have the whole thing done. If I waited to update until the whole thing was done, you might have had to wait a couple more weeks. So this is part one of the chapter, then next time there will be part two and there might even be a part three just for this one chapter I had planned. Yeah, it's _that_ long. But I really wanted to update so I cut it short and put the next part in a new document that I am still working on. Please forgive me for making you wait so long, but you know how it is, that beginning-of-school-madness. So many papers to sign, so much homework to do, and so forth. Just so you know, if you haven't figured it out yet, I will put updates on my profile if there is going to be an excessive delay in my updating, so always check there. If you have any questions you can always PM me as well :D

Anyways, like I said, this part isn't as exciting as I said it would be. I think the best part is going to be part two because it has a pretty good Troypay moment, it has more build-up of the drama, and it has more of Gabriella's... wait, you haven't even read this part yet! You'll find out about what Gabriella's doing and you may be able to guess in your head what's going to happen in the next part. So anyways, read and review and hopefully the next part will be up in less time than this one was!

**Chapter Ten: The Party - Part One**

_Gabriella's Diary_

_Dear Diary,_

_I'm really worried about what's going on with Ryan and Sharpay. Sharpay left yesterday morning during homeroom and the next time I saw her she was all beat up. Ryan and I went to check on her after first period but she refused to talk about it until I left. There's some big secret between them, but they don't want anyone to know. Except Troy. For some reason he knows all about it. I guess it's just because they're all living together. I have no idea what's going on, though. Ryan seemed to want to tell me about it until Sharpay told him to "show me" what it was. After that he wouldn't talk about it anymore, not for the rest of the day. I'm sure he'll tell me about it some day. I am his girlfriend after all!_

_Speaking of which, I should probably stop writing. As you know, Taylor's birthday party is tonight and it's going to be huge! So I need to finish getting ready because my boyfriend will be here soon, along with Sharpay and Troy. Ryan said he's looking into getting a new car pretty soon so we don't all have to ride together all the time. He really needs to get it soon because I don't know how much longer I can put up with his sister._

_xoxo,_

_Gabriella_

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**Ryan's POV**

_Ding-dong!_ The bell chimed from inside the house as I rang the doorbell. Within seconds the front door flew open and there stood Gabriella, looking as beautiful as ever. Her hair was in a cute, tousled up do and she was wearing a light lavender dress that fit her body perfectly. It fell down to her knees, showing off her legs and the wedges on her feet. I could only say one word.

"Wow."

She giggled and put her arms around my neck. "Hello to you, too."

"You look fabulous," I murmured in her ear, making her giggle again.

"Thank you," she whispered back, pressing her cheek to mine. I shifted so our foreheads were almost touching rather than our cheeks and looked down into the adorable pair of eyes that looked straight up into mine. Drawing my face closer to hers, I kissed her glossy lips tenderly, and she returned it with equal affection. She ran her fingers through my loose blonde hair while I let my hands travel down her body, over the soft silky material that clung to her skin. A soft moan escaped her throat just before we were forced to break apart by the sound of a loud, blaring car horn. Still holding her in my arms, I looked out the glass screen door to see my sister, who was in the passenger's seat, leaning over Troy, who was in the driver's seat, and giving us an aggravated look as she repeatedly hit the horn button. _'Hurry up!'_ she mouthed, pointing at an invisible watch on her wrist as if to say we were going to be late. It was all I could do to not roll my eyes while I turned back to my girlfriend, who I knew was just as exasperated as I was even though she was forcing a smile.

She tried to hide her negative emotions most of the time, but I could always tell when something was wrong. The thing I was never sure of was what she was upset about. Even though she always said she and Troy were just friends, I knew deep down on the inside there had to be a part of her that missed him. Why else would she seem so jealous every time he and Sharpay were together? Of course, maybe she just had a lasting grudge against her for kissing her boyfriend. Although I agree it was wrong of my sister to do that, I guess it _was _just her way of getting comfort from someone through our parents' divorce.

Sharpay had also told him about our secret that night, which could be another possible reason for Gabriella's annoyance. She knew the three of us knew something she didn't, and yet we wouldn't tell her. I wanted her to know, but at the same time I wanted to keep it from her. If she wanted to know all the things our father had done over the years, she would have to see my scars to believe it was true. No one besides myself and Sharpay had ever seen my scars, not even our mother except for the first time he had ever beaten us. It was just something we had always hidden from the world. I felt bad for hiding so much of my life from my girlfriend, but I couldn't bring myself to show her. Not yet.

"We should get going. You don't want to see Sharpay when she's mad," I said.

"You don't call what I see from her every day in school mad?"

"No, those are her good days," I joked. Gabriella laughed, albeit uneasily, as she looked out past my shoulder to her yard outside.

"What's the weather like out there? It is cold?" she asked. I noticed a strange glint in her eye, as if she was thinking about or remembering something.

"Uh... yeah, it's pretty windy. Crazy March weather. You should probably get a coat or something."

"Perfect..." she whispered, almost inaudibly.

"What?"

"Nothing!" She suddenly looked a bit nervous, as if she was trying to hide something. "I'll go get my coat. You just... stay... here..." As she spoke she slowly backed away from me and, once she finished her sentence, made a mad dash up the stairs. She was quickly out of sight, but I could here her moving about and running around on the second level. After about a minute all was silent, and a few minutes later she was coming back down the stairs wearing a black leather jacket that fit a little loose and was almost as long as her dress was. She looked a little dazed, but besides that she seemed happy enough.

"Okay, let's go!" She attached herself to my arm and locked the door before I led her down the paved sidewalk. About halfway towards the car she stumbled and almost fell to the ground, only saving herself by clinging desperately to my arm.

"Whoops! Sorry!" she said, giggling and hastily picking herself back up before continuing on to the vehicle as if nothing had happened.

_'That was weird. What's gotten into her?'_

-----------

**Gabriella's POV**

_'I can't believe I'm actually doing this...'_

I told Ryan I had come up here to get my coat, but that wasn't the entire truth. Yes, I had gotten a coat from my room, but now I was in the back of the closet in my mother's bathroom. For some reason, my parents had always stored anything they didn't want me to find in the back of their bathroom closet, that is, of course, when my father was alive and they were still together. When I was little, and we lived in a different house, I had wandered into their closet one day and found some... strange things that five-year-olds probably shouldn't see or even know about. But we don't need to go into that. The only thing that was back in this particular walk-in closet was my mother's collection of alcoholic drinks. I never remember her ever being wasted or anything, but I know she did have a couple of drinks on occasion. She had always been a very responsible adult and she knew her limits.

On the other hand, I was a teenager who never had even a taste of anything containing alcohol, and yet here I was. In a closet filled with everything from beer to vodka. Why my mother had all this when she drank almost none of it, I had no idea, but I did know that people always said it was a way to help you forget about your problems. I also heard about all the damage it could cause, but right now I needed a way to loosen up and _fast_. It was my best friend's birthday, after all, and I couldn't be all upset over my extreme jealousy problems. Since getting rid of my problems seemed to outweigh all the bad things that could happen, I acted impulsively and ended up making a huge mistake. I grabbed a bottle. I opened it. I took a huge drink from it. It tasted horrible, but I didn't care. I just wanted to be relaxed. After my first drink, I waited a few seconds and immediately felt myself ease up a little bit.

_'So it does work.'_

I took another drink, then another one after that, then more and more until I felt completely relaxed. I set the empty bottle back on the shelf and tried to stand. I felt a wave of dizziness, but it soon went away and I forgot about it. I started to make my way out to the bathroom, but another thought struck me.

_'What if this stuff wears off and I start feeling bad again?'_

I went back to the back of the closet and grabbed three more bottles. I quickly gulped down one of the bottles and hid the other two inside my leather jacket, which was long enough and loose enough to fit both on the inside pockets without looking bulky or suspicious. I hoped that would be enough. If it wasn't, I had been to Taylor's house plenty of times. I knew where her parents kept their drinks.

I stepped out into the bathroom and squinted. _'Have the lights always been this bright?' _I shook my head. Of course they had; they must have only seemed brighter because I came from inside the dark closet. I nodded, satisfied with the answer I had given myself, and went back down to the entryway. I felt the dizziness a couple more times on the way to the car, but I ignored it every time. Somehow, I had convinced myself I was perfectly fine, and completely in control. Little did I know, this tiny mistake would not only affect the rest of the night, but also the next week of my life. My life... and everyone else's.

-----------

**Sharpay's POV**

I sighed in annoyance once Ryan and Gabriella were buckled in safely in the back seat.

"It's about time! What took you two so long?" Ryan opened his mouth to answer and I cut him off. "Never mind, I don't care!" He closed his mouth and the rest of the ride to Taylor's house was silent. It was an awkward silence, with the usual jealous tension smothering all of us. I shifted slightly in my seat, wincing when one of my legs brushed against the bottom of the dashboard. I had healed relatively fast from the previous day's beating. I could usually walk on my own, although I did limp considerably. My legs still looked pretty bad, though, so I wore black tights with flats under my glittery white dress so no one could see the bandages I used to cover them. The bandages were also supposed to be white, but the blood had soaked through them more than once, and some stains never came out.

Before long we had arrived in front of Taylor's house, and even I was amazed at how big a party she had thrown. The street was packed with cars, and even from where we were I could see the inside of the house was packed even tighter with people. The music was so loud we could hear it over the car radio when we were still two blocks over, not to mention there were about a billion decorations.

"Wow, Taylor really went all out, huh?" I said as I tried to get out of the car without hurting myself. Troy quickly rushed around from the driver's side to the passenger's side and helped me safely to the sidewalk. I smiled gratefully for a millisecond before I remembered who he was and why I was mad at him. My smile immediately turned into a glare as I humphed and limped up to the door, the other three close behind me.

Taylor saw us the instant we stepped inside and came running over to us excitedly, dragging her boyfriend along behind her. "Hey everyone! I'm so glad you came!"

"We would never miss your sweet sixteen, Tay!" Gabriella exclaimed, giving her best friend a quick hug.

"Aw, thank you! Here, let me get your coats," she offered.

"No!" We all gave Gabriella strange looks at her sudden outburst, causing her face to turn pink. "I mean... um... You shouldn't miss a single second of your party! I'll take everyone's coats and put them away for you. Where are you putting them?"

"In my parents' room..." Taylor said, looking tremendously confused as Gabriella gathered all our jackets together and ran upstairs with them. I shook my head, not able to resist the urge to roll my eyes.

"Ryan, your girlfriend's being weird," I declared, as if it wasn't already obvious to us all. He didn't say anything, because he knew I was right. Something was definitely up with that girl, but I didn't plan on saying anything else. People were already mad enough; I didn't need to make things any worse than they already were. Smirking, I patted my brother on the back in an attempt to encourage him to figure out what was wrong with Gabriella, and then proceeded to limp into the crowded living room. I stopped abruptly the second I got inside and cringed. The music was blaring, people were dancing, and there was no way I would be able to take another step forward without getting hurt somehow. I huffed out of frustration.

_'Stupid Dad... if only you didn't overreact about every little thing, maybe my life wouldn't be so miserable right now.'_ I wasn't just talking about our most recent encounter. Every time he got upset about any little thing, he thought he could solve it with a dozen or so drinks. Alcohol didn't solve anything. Maybe he got a temporary relief from whatever was bothering him, but it always came back and was worse each time. He had been drinking Sunday night, when the house burned down. He was always drinking, and he would always get into an argument with Mom. Then either Ryan or I would interfere and Ryan would always end up hurt...

Yet now our father was gone, moved out, off in his own apartment. I realized I may never see him again in my life. Perhaps that wasn't a bad thing at all, though. There was always the chance that he was gone for good now, and we would never have to see him again. I had to smile at this thought and I almost believed that his absence would solve all my problems.

"Sharpay," I heard a voice behind me, causing my smile to fall once again as I remembered my _other_ problem; the one that didn't have anything to do with my father.

"What do you want, Troy?" I asked, still facing the crowd. I knew it was him, so why bother turning around to see him? If I looked at him, my heart would start pounding while he would look into my eyes so intently that it would almost seem possible that he might like me. But then I would have to remind myself that it was all a lie, and that he really hated me.

"Nothing, I'm just... bored."

"Well can you go be bored somewhere else? I really don't want to be around you right now," I said, even though it was only half true. I wanted him to be around me for all eternity, but not if he was just going to play with my feelings.

"Oh really? I hate to tell you this, but I'm the only company you're going to have for a while." He spoke confidently, as if I should be depending on him or something. "You know, Ryan has a girlfriend now. He's not going to have as much time for you as he used to."

"Will you shut up and go away!" I snapped. He laughed, which made me even more irritated. _'It's not that funny.'_

"If I leave, who are you going to talk to? Everyone here is having fun, except you." As he talked, he walked closer to me until he was right next to me. I could just barely see him out of the corner of my eye, but I still refused to look at him. Though it wouldn't have mattered if I was looking at him or not, because he was staring out at the sea of people in front of us just like I was.

"What am I supposed to do? In case you haven't noticed, I have a lot of problems going on right now that I'd like to think about. _Alone_."

"Maybe I can help you figure them out."

"I highly doubt that."

"Why?"

"Because one of the problems is _you_!" I yelled, turning and looking at him for the first time as I threw my hands up in the air. "Isn't it obvious, Troy? I hate you! I don't want to be around you any more than you want to be around me. Yet you never leave me alone! _Why_ won't you just leave me alone?"

I started moving into the crowd, thinking anything would be better than talking to Troy Bolton, but I froze on the spot when I heard him answer loud and clear.

"Because I love you!"

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**Sodagirl Says**: Once again, sorry for the delay and the slight cliff-hanger there! But the next chapter should be up within a week or two and it will continue directly from this chapter. There is one thing I need you to tell me in your review, however, and it is **IMPORTANT**! Okay, so here it is: For each chapter, would you rather have me do one long chapter or divide that chapter up into 2+ shorter chapters like I am doing for this particular chapter? With split-up chapters, I can probably update every week, possibly two weeks, but with a long chapter it'll probably take me like a month. So basically, are you okay with the short chapters or do you _insist_ that they be long? Let me know in your review, okay:D


	11. The Party Part Two

Flame of my Heart

by hotsodagirl

**Summary**: A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre**: Romance/Drama

**Rating**: T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says**: I'm still loving ya'll!

**StoryBee**: I know! I feel horrible about not updating, but originally it was going to be longer! When I posted the last part, I already had part of this part written. I actually probably could have updated a week sooner but I didn't because I was trying to get the whole thing done. Again, so sorry!

**DeGrAsSiMyAnTiDrUg**: Yeah, Gabi is just so bad, ain't she? And it just keeps getting worse in this part. Shame on her :P

**Andrea Sumeragi**: Wow, thanks! I'm glad you like my story! Your review was actually in pretty good English :D And long, too. I like long reviews ;)

**My BFFHsmgirl92**: Yeah Ryella is so cute! Remember with our pics? We're like, "No Lucas! Don't go over to that side!" Lucas in a bubble - DIN DIN:D

**NYlovebaby**:D Yes, he admitted it! Isn't it great?

**Ashley's Fool**:P I'm sorry for kind of leaving it there but I thought that was the best place to cut it off. In fact, I decided to be even more mean and leave you hanging even longer because at the beginning of this chapter I switched to Gabi's POV so you get to wait:D Thanks for reviewing!

**xxAnnaxx**: Yeah, I decided to have Gabriella do that because... well, I actually don't remember when or why I decided to do that. It was a long time ago. But I thought it would be interesting :D Yeah, school can get kind of hard and busy at times. For us, they just let us sign up for advanced classes if we want. If they put me in by my GPA, I _would_ be in advanced everything! But luckily they don't do that :P

**xxCaNdY CoUnTeR GiRlxx**: Well I can only update slowly because of my busy schedule with school and all. I basically only get to work on my stories on the weekends so... yeah, it can take a while.

**XXTroypay-4EVAXX**:P Yeah, I know you're not mad at me. And... yeah, you'll see what happens next :D Yay, I'm awesome! lol!

**knick-knack-15**: Oh yes, I'm so cruel:P Mwahahaha, no I'm just kidding!

**totally-utterly-me**: Happy (late)Birthday:P

**michellio**: Aw, thank you! Yeah, I know how it is with school; that's why it's taken me so long to get this up! Awesome, I love Cartel too! They are so great! Thanks for adding this to your faves!

**Elephantsmania**: Yeah, I like the shorter chapters better too, and I promise they won't always take so long to get up! I just had all these projects and all... not fun:P

**charmarctravis**: Aw, thank you for leaving 5 reviews on here! That makes me feel loved when people take the time to review more than one chapter if they missed it :D And thanks for reading my other stories too!

**Other Reviewers**: _ac5000, Shoelace22, Jordan-Troy Bolton_

I hate school. :P No, not really, I just hate all my projects. Seriously, in that two or three week period that I didn't update, I had homework in every academic class plus Spanish and sometimes Speech every night, plus 5 projects and a few Art things I had to do. It was crazy, really, and I missed my computer time a lot. But somehow I was able to get this, and my latest one-shot _No Regrets_ (go check it out!), typed up and on here. Now, for the important thing: On October 6th I am leaving to go on this religious deal until the 14th or 15th. There is no Internet connection in the hotel, and even if there was I'm going to be really busy so I wouldn't have time to update. However, I have Monday (the 2nd) off for another religious thing so I am going to try really hard to have the next chapter typed up before the sixth. That seems a little far-fetched, but if I work hard all this weekend and Monday, I may be able to pull it off. If not, you're going to have to wait another couple of weeks until the next chapter.

Okay, about my one-shot, _No Regrets_, I have to thank the following people for reviewing that: _xleytonloverx, anon, charmarctravis, basketball troy 14, TheEquivalentOfTroysSharpay, Hsmgirl92, larabaybee, Aya Kurayami_. I noticed most of these people aren't people who were already normal readers of this story, but that's probably because I put that up before this chapter. So go R&R it for me, okay? Love to everyone!

Anyways, I'm trying to cut down on my author's notes (which, BTW, is not working out), so I'm only going to say one last thing: My BFF got an account on here! She is Hsmgirl92 and she has always been so supportive of me so now I'm being supportive of her. You're awesome, Susie:D Okay, on to the story!

**Chapter Eleven: The Party - Part Two**

**Gabriella's POV**

_'That was close. If Taylor or anyone else had seen this...'_

After removing my jacket, I folded one side over to cover the alcohol bottles as much as possible and laid it gently on the bed, being careful not to break either glass. I then carefully placed my friends' coats on top and moved around a few other ones in order to hide any evidence of something suspicious. Stepping back, I looked over my handiwork and noticed a slight bulge in one area near my jacket. I took a few more coats from the edge of the bed and tossed them near the semi-obvious lump until I was certain it was inconspicuous.

"Are you always this meticulous about your coats?" I heard a voice ask behind me. I spun around and saw my boyfriend, leaning imperturbably in the doorway. I smiled tentatively and shook my head.

"No, I was just..." I couldn't think of anything to say, so I just sighed. "I don't know."

"Is there something going on that I should know about?" he asked. I shrugged and fell back to the bed, being cautious not to sit where my jacket was. I crossed my hands in my lap and looked down at the floor as Ryan crossed the few steps that separated us and sat down next to me.

"Gabi, tell me what's wrong. You've been acting strange ever since I came to pick you up. Come on, you're my girlfriend. You can talk to me."

"Exactly," I said, looking over at him. "I should be able to talk to you about anything, but I can't do that when you're off keeping secrets from me!" I stared back at the floor, not knowing what else to say. I hadn't meant to say anything about it at all. I had told myself that I would wait until Ryan decided to tell me himself, but I couldn't help the fact that this, among other things, was bothering me.

I heard him sigh, then felt his hand atop mine. I let my head fall to the side, resting on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," I apologized. "It's obviously not any of my business and I shouldn't be butting in-"

"No, you have every right to butt in. We shouldn't have secrets from each other. I was just..." He hesitated, giving me the chance to shift my head upward to see his face. There he was, staring off into the distance as he had the habit of doing every so often. He looked worried, yet angry at the same time. I squeezed his hand lightly, pulling him back from his thoughts. He blinked a few times, as if suddenly realizing where he was, and then continued on with what he was saying in a manner that made it seem that he had never stopped.

"I was afraid of what you would think, and I still am. Gabi, I don't mind telling you about it, but I don't want you to get mixed up in any of this. I promise it's not a big deal, but you can't tell anyone."

"Ryan, I don't understand..." He silenced me, putting his index finger over my lips.

"You'll understand in a minute. Just watch me, okay? And don't freak out." Before he had even finished speaking, he began to unbutton his navy blue button-down shirt. I tilted my head in confusion. _'What is he doing?'_ Soon he had opened every button, reaching the final one. He then pulled off his shirt and threw it on top of all the jackets. Underneath it he wore a white, short-sleeved undershirt that covered his chest but left a plain view of his arms, which he held out to me wrists facing up. I gasped and felt my face twist in worry and shock. His arms looked horrible; they were completely torn up, and covered with scars.

"Oh... my... gosh... Ryan, what happened!" I exclaimed, unable to look away from his mutilated limbs.

"My father," he said, his voice full of resentment. "This is the damage he's done over the past decade or so. This... is what he does to us. What happened to Shar in the parking lot yesterday wasn't an accident. _He_ did that to her."

"So... this happens to you two a lot?" I asked slowly.

"Yeah. Well, mostly me. I can usually stop him from hurting her too much. The other day was probably the worst thing he's over done to her, but it was nothing compared to what he usually does to me."

I shook my head in disbelief. "How can you say this so calmly?"

To my surprise, he chuckled. "I told you before, it isn't a big deal. What you see on my arms isn't even the worst of it. But... It's happened so many times that I don't even care about the physical pain anymore. The thing that hurts me the most is when he's able to injure my sister."

I sat silent for a moment, trying both to process what I had just learned and to hold off the temptation to fling all the coats away and drink down everything I had brought with me. I finally spoke. "So this has been going on since you were six?"

"Five," he corrected.

"Right, five. Why didn't you ever tell anyone? You could have called child abuse a long time ago and stopped him from hurting either of you-"

"If we had done that, it would have hurt us more than he ever could." When I gave him a confused look, he continued. "If we had called child abuse, they probably would have taken us away from both our parents. We would have been put in foster care. It's a well-known fact that most siblings don't stay together for long after they're in foster care. To us, staying together is the most important thing. We couldn't survive without each other."

I was silent again, trying for a second time to resist the thought of drowning myself in alcohol as an unpleasant feeling of guilt began to grow inside of me. For the past week, I had wanted nothing more than to ruin Sharpay's life, to make her miserable. But for the past eleven years, both she and her brother had already been living miserable lives. The only person she had was him, and I had taken him away from her. Now I felt horrible.

"Ryan, I feel horrible," I said, and went on to voice the other concerns that had formerly taken place in my mind. He nodded slowly as I spoke, and offered a comment and a solution that made me feel a little less horrible when I was finished.

"You're right. Sharpay must have been feeling tortured even more these past few days." He stood, reaching over to grab his shirt and hastily put it back on. "I'll go talk to her about it."

I also stood and took his hand. "I'll go with you. And... Thanks for telling me about this."

"No problem," he said. I gave him a quick kiss on the lips and smiled at him. He smiled too, but at the same time held a look of puzzlement and suspicion.

"What?" I asked. He shook his head, still looking skeptical.

"Nothing... Come on, let's go." We exited the room and walked down the stairs. For the first time that night, I actually felt okay. Maybe things would be all right after this, I thought. Those thoughts were shattered to pieces a few steps down as we looked out into the throng of guests in the living room. In the center stood Troy and Sharpay. She looked over at us, giving us the same dirty, satisfactory smirk I had given her the day before. Suddenly I went from feeling the best I had all night to the worst, and I couldn't resist the temptation any longer. Feeling tears gathering in my eyes, I made a 180 degree turn and ran straight back to Taylor's parents' room, not even caring that Ryan was right behind me. He had told me his secret, and I was about to tell him mine.

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**Troy's POV**

_'"Isn't it obvious Troy? I hate you! I don't want to be around you any more than you want to be around me. Yet you never leave me alone! Why won't you just leave me alone?"_

_"Because I love you!"'_

There was a large gasp and a collective murmur from the immense crowd as the song blasting from the speakers ended and everyone heard me yell my confession. For a split second, I wanted to take it back. There had always been that pressure on me; the pressure to do exactly what everyone else wanted me to do and act like everyone else wanted me to act. In East High, it was unheard of for the basketball champion to fall for the drama queen. With a few seconds, I probably could have thought up some lame excuse to make everyone believe I was joking and everyone would have been fine. Everyone except Sharpay, that is, and right now she was the only person in the entire room that I really cared about. One look into her dark chocolate eyes evaporated any doubt of this fact as I slowly moved closer to her.

"That's right," I said loudly, making sure everyone could hear me. "I'm in love with Sharpay Evans."

She shook her head and tried to back away, but there was nowhere to go. The crowd was packed tightly around us, every person watching our every move. With every step I took, the group gathered around in the area left behind me until the only empty space was about a foot of room between me and Sharpay. She crossed her arms and glared at me, trying to put up her Ice Queen façade, but I could see the panic and wariness behind her pretense.

"You're lying," she whispered.

"No. I was lying before when I told all my friends that I didn't really like you. Maybe you overheard that and that's why you believed it. But now I'm going to tell you the truth and you are going to listen." I took my final step forward, closing the gap between us as I took her hands into mine. She was shaking like crazy, and whether that was from being scared or cold I didn't know. I didn't know anything at that moment except for me and her. We were the only important beings in the universe.

"Sharpay, I can see why you would doubt me. We've been living together for almost a week, and I'm sure by now you've figured out that I sometimes have a contradictory personality from school to home. That might make you not want to trust me, but I know deep in your heart you do."

"Don't act like you know everything about me. You don't know anything," she said, her voice cracking as she tried a miserable attempt at her usual sense of superiority.

"You're only fooling yourself when you say that. You're transparent. With one look into your eyes, I know everything you're thinking. You don't want to believe that I love you because you're think you might get hurt, and you're afraid. But do you know what I think? I think true love is worth the risk."

"You think you're so smart, don't you?" She yanked her hands out of mine, slowly regaining her confidence. "Do you really think I'll be taken in by a bunch of sweet talk that you're probably making up off the top of your head? Why won't you just accept the fact that I don't like you?"

"Because that's not a fact and you know it!" I yelled. "If you would stop deluding yourself for two seconds, you would admit that you love me!"

"I would never love you!"

"Yes, you would! You do, and you have for a while. I know you do! You have been driving yourself crazy with thoughts of me ever since the first time we kissed and you want nothing more than to kiss me again!"

"You're so full of yourself!"

"I'm not full of myself; I'm full of thoughts about you. You feel the same about me as I do about you," I said, calmer now.

"Oh yeah?" she snapped, still just as angry. "Prove it!"

_'Fine. I will!'_ I thought as I reached out and grabbed her shoulders. Not giving her a single millisecond to react, I pulled her toward me and forced my lips upon hers. This seemed to surprise her a bit, but she proved my argument correct when she didn't even make an effort to get away. In fact, she did the opposite by drawing me in closer to her. I enjoyed this for all of ten seconds before I remembered our setting. We were at a party, in the center of a huge group of people that consisted of almost every student of East High. And all eyes were on us. Sharpay might have also realized this, or maybe she didn't care. Either way, she pulled away after that ten seconds; and as blue eyes met brown, I saw her anger had disappeared. She was smiling, her dark orbs brimming with relieved tears.

"I'm sorry. You were right. I... I love you, Troy."

Her voice came across quietly, but it nearly echoed across the silent ocean of bodies. Then, like a chemical reaction, the entire area burst into an explosion of cheers and chatter. I had been wrong about one thing: People really didn't care if I was in love with her or not. I laughed, almost doubting what had just happened, and pulled who I believed to be the most outstandingly beautiful girl in the world into my arms. She clung to my neck, and for the first time in a long while, I felt truly happy.

"Ha." Even over the roar of voices and the resuming blare of music, I heard her voice sound in satisfaction. I turned my head three-fourths of the way around, just in time to see Gabriella retreating up the stairs and Ryan running after her. Looking back on the situation later, I probably should have thought more about what was going on. But at that moment, I didn't care. I had told the girl of my dreams I loved her, and she said it back. What could possibly go wrong?

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**Ryan's POV**

"Gabriella!" I took the stairs two at a time, but only caught up to her when she was back in the bedroom. She went straight for the bed, throwing almost all the coats and jackets vigorously away from the bed. Dodging a few that were inadvertently thrown my way, I moved up behind my girlfriend and grasped her around her waist. She instantly stopped her perceived madness, her muscles relaxing and her head falling limp. Her body shook as she sobbed, and only then did I see she held a bottle in her hand. I turned her around to face me and took the bottle from her. I was shocked after taking one look at the label, but in a way it made sense. When she had kissed me earlier I thought I had smelled alcohol, but I dismissed it as an illusion and nothing more. I never would have guessed that Gabriella - nice, sweet, innocent Gabriella - could be capable of something like this...

"Gabi-" I started, but she held up her hand.

"Don't say it. I know." Her voice was shaky; her hands reached up to her face to ineffectively wipe away the makeup that ran down her face. "This isn't something I should be doing. I know it's bad. I know about all the terrible things that could happen. But I don't _care_! All those things don't seem so awful when I compare them to the way _they_ make me feel. I hate her; I hate both of them!"

"Why?" I asked. "Why do you do this to yourself?"

"Because! Because... Because it makes me feel good! I drank a couple of bottles before we left, and for a while I actually felt a sense of tranquility. It works, Ryan, it really does..." She trailed off, her eyes only on the bottle I held. I looked down at the same exact bottle and shook my head.

"You're drunk. You don't know what you're saying."

"Yes I do!" she yelled, switching her gaze to my eyes. "I know exactly what I'm talking about, and you just can't understand because you haven't tried it!"

Something about her words silenced me, and I couldn't speak. I could only look down at that bottle and think, _'What if...?'_ She put her hand on top of mine, over the mouth of the bottle.

"How do you feel right now?" she asked. "Angry? Jealous? Upset?" Speechless, and my eyes still on the bottle, I nodded. "Then just try it. I promise, it makes you feel better."

"Gabi, I don't know-" I felt her lips against mine, kissing passionately.

"Just once," she whispered. "For me."

I held the bottle up to my eye level, staring at it for a short period of time, then nodded.

"Okay. I'll do it." With that said, I opened the bottle and held it to my lips, pouring its contents down into my mouth and allowing it to trickle down my throat.

And you know what? I was already starting to feel better.

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**Sodagirl Says**: OMG, I feel so evil for making Ryan do that! I mean, I felt evil enough in the last chapter when Gabriella started drinking, but I love Ryan so much and I feel bad! Really, I do, but I had to do it to get to the next part of the story. Okay, so go ahead and review, but don't get mad at me! I promise in the next chapter it will all be resolved. Well, not _all_, because then that would be the end of the story! But the whole alcohol thing will definitely be resolved. So review! It inspires me and makes me feel good :D


	12. The Party Part Three

Flame of my Heart

by hotsodagirl

**Summary**: A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre**: Romance/Drama

**Rating**: T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says**: Wow, guess what? You all broke the record for most reviews in one chapter for this story! Congrats! However, since I'm getting so many reviews, this will porbably be the last time I reply to reviews _on the story_. But I will probably still reply through PM or whatever. Okay, onto the final replies!

**DeGrAsSiMyAnTiDrUg**: I'm sorry for torturing you:P Yeah, I felt horrible for the bad things that happened here, but I was also happy for the good things. Don't worry, everything will be better by the end of this chapter!

**totally-utterly-me**: Flaming amazing? Cool:D Gabi was drunk; she didn't know what a horrible thing she was doing.

**xxCaNdY CoUnTeR GiRlxx**: No, there is still going to be Troypay in the rest of the story. I think after this whole party deal is over and we move on to the next dramatic thing, there will be a little more Ryella than Troypay, but there will still always be Troypay :D

**TheEquivalentOfTroysSharpay**: Yay! I'm glad it was fun to read. Thanks for not hating me! Like you said, it adds good drama, and that was the whole reason of me doing that.

**Debbiek91121**: Oh yes, I spend all my time thinking up evil manipulative schemes :P Not really. Your whole idea that you put about Ryan and his dad is... well, it's close, but not exactly. You'll just have to stick around and see! Ha ha, I turned the tables on you ON PURPOSE because I'm just that evil and manipulative :P And I read your story; it was good.

**Ashley's Fool**: Troypay rox my sox too! I enjoyed kind of turning Gabi's personality around in these chapters, but she won't always be this way! Thanks for reviewing!

**ac5000**: Wasn't the argument cute? I always think that kind of stuff is fun when people are mad and yelling at each other and then they end up kissing. Kind of like Zac and Ashley did as Trevor and Maddie on The Suite Life:P

**Hsmgirl92**: Oh yeah, well sometimes it's fun to leave people in suspense :P And now you know why I kept saying, "People are going to think I'm so evil!" And you were like why? And I was like you have to read the chapter:D Lucas is a hott cowboy!

**xxAnnaxx**: Yeah, I had a gazillion projects and stuff too that I _also_ procrastinated on, but if you're weird then I'm weird because I think high school's fun too!

**michellio**: Don't worry, _no one_'_s_ getting into a car accident! I actually thought about doing that for a later chapter, but then I got a better idea :D

**Jordan-Troy Bolton**: Aw, you started screaming? Really? That's sweet:D

**PinkPixxie**: Yay! Troypay actually makes me giddy inside too because it's really cute!

**bighdancer1126**: Oh, thank you! Have you reviewed my story before? Because you didn't sound familliar... sorry if you did and I forgot!

**A Dawn Delivery**: Aw, thanks for starting to review my story! It means a lot to me :D

**crushie**: I'm glad you made the time too! Thanks, you're sweet.

**charmarctravis**: Yay! I LOVE it when you review a bunch of chapters:D

**Other Reviewers**: _NYlovebaby, StoryBee, Shoelace22, azndoll10, ELM-Tree10, Aya Kurayami_

Okay, this chapter is one of the reasons I changed the rating to 'T' a while back. There are going to be a couple of chapters involving a lot of violence and blood, but that's not the major problem in this chapter. I mean, there is _some_ violence and slight mention of blood, but the biggest problem is this chapter has a lot of language. Okay, so it's nowhere near as much as some stories I've seen, or even most of the movies today, but it's a lot for me because I almost _never_ use language in my stories. I used the word hell once before but that doesn't count because it's not really that bad a word. But I felt it was necessary to use some language in here to add to the drama and to elucidate on how bad the situation actually is. I just wanted to give you all a warning because I normally don't have any swearing in my stories and I don't want anyone being like, OMG!

Oh, and another thing. I was re-reading the entire story I've written so far, and since this is about the halfway point as far as the plot goes I decided to revise the old chapters. So throughout the next few weeks I will be replacing the older chapters for sure and maybe a few of the newer ones. The storyline will still be the same but I have noticed a few places that could use a touch up. Also, I will be taking off most of the author's notes because those are taking up too much space. That includes what I'm saying right now. When I get the next chapter up, all the author's notes on this chapter will be taken off.

Okay, go read the story now:D

**Chapter Twelve: The Party and the Aftermath**

**Sharpay's POV**

For twenty minutes, I had the perfect life. I had finally figured out my feelings, as well as those of Troy Bolton, and found myself a boyfriend. Oh, and the sight of an extremely angry and jealous Gabriella helped me in achieving a good mood as well. _'Speaking of which, I wonder where she and Ryan went off to?'_ I thought. A second later I decided to forget about it, and instead have some fun while I still had the chance. Usually in my life, if something really good happens it means something bad is right around the corner. Tonight was no exception, but at the time I held the impossible hope high in my mind, wishing that for once nothing would go wrong.

"Are you okay?" Troy asked from where he stood next to me near the doorway of the living room.

"Yeah, I just have the horrible feeling that something awful is going to happen." The fast, upbeat song blaring from the speakers changed to a soft, slower one and Troy took my hands, pulling me toward the dance floor.

"Don't worry about it," he said, slipping his arms around my waist and holding me close to his body. "The only important thing right now is us, and as long as we're together nothing can happen to you."

"That's sweet, but it's impractical. Something _always_ happens."

"In that case, let's just enjoy being with each other until that bad thing happens, and maybe being with me will make it a little less awful."

I smiled. "How do you always know the right thing to say?"

He shrugged. "It's a gift." I hit him playfully on the arm, causing him to give me a warning look. I giggled and pulled his face down to mine, kissing him once again after many times already that night.

"I love you, Troy."

"Troy! Sharpay!" I looked over my boyfriend's shoulder to see Chad, pushing his way through the crowd and making his way over to us.

"What's up?" Troy asked, looking both confused and irritated at us having been interrupted.

"We have a problem," Chad said.

I gave Troy an _I-told-you-so_ look before asking, "What's the problem?"

"Follow me." He led us out of the living room and into the kitchen, where Taylor stood, anxiously, next to a nearly-empty cabinet. She rushed over the instant she saw us.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so glad you two are here!" she cried. Her voice sounded worried, but there was a definite hint of anger.

"What's going on?" I asked. She took my arm and dragged me over to the cabinet, holding her free hand out to it. I looked inside and scrunched my face in confusion. "There's three wine bottles in there. I don't see the problem."

"The problem is that this is where my parents keep their alcohol and the entire thing was full before the party started."

"Okay, so someone took your parents' alcohol. Why is it _our _problem?" Troy asked, aggravated. The way he said it sounded mean, but I understood why he was annoyed. All we wanted was to spend some time together, and they were kind of spoiling that.

"It's your problem because the 'someone' that took it is _your_ ex-girlfriend and _your_ brother," she said, nodding to Troy on the first 'your' and me on the second. I shook my head irately.

"Don't lie. I _know_ Ryan would never drink, and I doubt Gabriella ever would either. She's too much of a goody-two-shoes for that kind of thing."

"Apparently not. Chad and I both saw her coming downstairs into the kitchen and going back up several times about fifteen minutes ago. Eventually we didn't see her anymore, but we kept seeing Ryan. I was curious about why they were doing that so we came in here and saw the cupboard open and almost empty."

"I still don't believe they would do that."

"I didn't either, so I went upstairs and found them in my parents' room. Gabriella is... well, maybe we should just show you." Taking Chad's hand, Taylor walked out of the kitchen and over to the stairs next to the entryway. Troy and I both followed, unsure of what to think. Taylor's story really did sound believable, but it wasn't possible. Ryan was always furious when our father would get drunk; why would he even get close to anything containing alcohol?

"See for yourself," Taylor said at the top of the stairs, gesturing to the partially-open door that led to her parents' room. I stepped forward and pushed it open to see the unexpected. The room itself was trashed - coats, bags, and empty glass bottles littering the floor and bed. At the end of that bed lied Gabriella, passed out, her head hanging over the footboard, and sitting next to her on the floor was Ryan. He was finishing off one bottle and reaching for the next when I furiously stormed over to him.

"Ryan Stephen Evans, what do you think you're doing?!" I yelled, taking the bottle away from him as if he were a child. His eyes followed the bottle, and then shifted up to my face in a glare so vicious I felt compelled to take a step backwards. I had never seen him look at me with such ferocity; it scared me.

"Give it back," he demanded in a low, serious voice.

"Never! Ryan, what is wrong with you?"

"Why do you need to know?" he shouted, standing up. "You didn't care about me or Gabriella before, and you surely don't now! So why don't you just go back to Wonder Boy over there and leave us the hell alone!" He reached out and snatched the bottle back. Placing his hand on my breastbone, he shoved hard and I fell down to the ground, landing on two bottles that shattered under the sudden pressure into tiny shards that found their way across the delicate skin of my arms. Tears formed quickly in my eyes and began to trickle down my face, not from the physical pain, but from the reality that said pain had come from my own brother. My twin brother, who had promised to always protect me, had hurt me, heartlessly.

"You bastard!" I heard Troy yell as he ran past me and tackled Ryan to the ground. Punches were thrown, blood was shed, but it was hard to tell which one was getting more of a beating.

"Chad, do something!" Taylor shrieked as the dark red liquid from their fight began to stain the carpets of her parents' room. Following her vague orders, he immediately bolted out of the room and reappeared seconds later with Jason and Zeke. No questions were asked; all three boys simultaneously jumped into the fray and worked at breaking it up.

"Let me go!" Troy yelled as Chad pulled him up from the floor and held him an adequate distance away from where the other two struggled to hold back Ryan as he thrashed about violently. Knees shaking, I managed to stand and stumble over to my boyfriend.

"Troy, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said, suddenly cool and composed. He hugged me protectively and whispered, "What about you? Are you hurt?"

"No! Troy, what were you thinking, attacking him like that? You could have gotten yourself seriously injured!"

"It's always about him, isn't it?" Ryan muttered maliciously in a voice not unlike my father's. "We get in a fight, and he's the first one you want to check up on. You have to make sure _he's_ okay before anyone else - even before your own twin brother." I turned my head; glared into his eyes as he glared into mine. Never breaking our eye contact, I spoke.

"Zeke, Jason, let him go."

"What?" Zeke asked, sounding as if he thought I was crazy.

"That's right. Let him go." They obeyed. "Now get Gabriella out to the car and we'll leave in a few minutes." Again they obeyed, putting one of her arms around each of them as they lifted her off the bed and dragged her unconscious body downstairs.

"Taylor," I continued. "Get my purse and take whatever money I have in there. It's probably only a couple hundred dollars, but that should at least cover the cost of replacing your parents' alcohol and the inconvenience you've had to go through on your birthday. I'll get back to you sometime this weekend to cover any other costs." Behind me, I heard shuffling and the unzipping of my purse as some debt was paid.

"Any other orders?" Chad asked, only half-joking.

"Only one more. I want you, all _three_ of you, to leave."

"I won't do that, Shar. I don't trust him alone here with you. You need to stay with me," Troy said. At this time, I had to look away from my brother to give an equally icy glare to my boyfriend.

"Listen up, Troy. I may be your girlfriend, but you _will not_ tell me what to do. _This _is something I need to do. I have to talk to Ryan alone. Got that?" He nodded. "Oh, and one more thing..."

"Yeah?"

"Don't call me Shar."

Nodding again, he walked over and hugged me once more. "I'll be right downstairs," he whispered into my ear. And with those final words, the three departed. Now it was just me and Ryan. After staring each other down for a few moments, I was the first to speak.

"Ryan... _what_ were you thinking?! Honestly, how could you do something like this?"

He said nothing; only picked up the next bottle and took a long drink from it. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head.

"Look at you, Ryan. You're pathetic. Do you really think drinking is going to solve whatever problem you're trying to run away from?" I gestured my hand to the door that led downstairs. "Not to mention you got an innocent girl drunk!"

"I didn't get her drunk! She was drinking first," he said.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure she was. Considering she's the good girl, straight-A student and you are the son of a constant alcoholic-" I was silenced by a powerful slap across the face.

"Don't bring him into this. I am _not_ our father."

"You could have fooled me," I said in a wounded voice, holding my hand up to my cheek and wincing at the pain.

"Why do you even care, Sharpay?"

"Because you're my brother! You're my brother and you said you'd always be there for me!"

"That was a long time ago."

"It was Sunday! It hasn't even been a week, and already things are different?"

"Yeah, they are."

"Why?"

"Why? Things are different because before Sunday came along, I was always the one to protect you. Do you even know how many times I risked my fucking life for you?! Every time Dad tried to hurt you, I was there to fight him off and get myself hurt ten times more than I would have otherwise. Sometimes the pain was so unbearable I would have rather died than been lying, tortured, in my bed. But I always hung on, because I knew if I was gone there would be no one there to look after you. And I was okay with that, because I loved you and I would do anything to prevent you from getting harmed. But then here comes Troy Bolton, and suddenly you don't need me anymore."

"That's not true," I whispered.

"Yes it is! He's the only one you think about now and you couldn't care less about me!"

I crossed my arms. "Okay, so how does drinking solve all this? You've seen what Dad does. Do you want to end up like him?"

"I'll never be like him."

"You already are! You hurt me. _Twice_. And now that you've gotten drunk once, you'll get addicted. Then you'll keep doing it, and you'll be _just like him_." I grabbed the bottle from my brother's hand and held it up next to me. "This is poison to you, Ryan. You don't need shit like this in your life!"

Speaking my final words, I threw the bottle to the ground with all my strength. It shattered just as the others had earlier, the glass bits scattering everywhere. Ryan watched as the liquid contained inside spilt out, adding yet another stain to the fabric carpet. He seemed dazed for a moment, then regained himself and looked to my face. There was a maniacal look in his eye, and I instantly felt the horrible, sinking feeling I felt every time my father became violent.

"You know, that was the last bottle I had up here. Did you have fun smashing it to pieces?"

I didn't risk speaking.

"What, no answer? You looked like you were having fun when you did that." He reached down and picked up another bottle, this one empty, and held it out to me. "Go ahead, break another one."

"Ryan, let's just go home."

"No, I want us to have some fun. Come on, smash it."

"Ryan, I-"

"Smash it!" he yelled, throwing the bottle at me. I ducked and it shattered as it hit the wall.

"Ryan, stop it!" My words were useless. He took another empty bottle and pushed me toward the bed. I fell on it, exactly how he had planned. He smacked the bottle against the bedpost, causing glass fragments to rain over me, cutting more of my skin. My mind raced; I had to get out of here before he seriously injured me. Doing the first thing that came to mind, I kicked him in the stomach. He staggered backwards for a split second, and that was all I needed. I hurriedly jumped off the bed and ran for the door. By the time Ryan realized what I was doing, I had already flung open the door.

"Troy!" I screamed as loud as I could. I would have had to be stupid to wait for him to come to me. I ran down the stairs, meeting him halfway down. But even then, I didn't stop. I pushed past him and the three other basketball players, tears streaming down my face. I didn't see what happened behind me, but I could envision it well enough by what I heard and saw in front of me. There were grunts, mumbles, curses. A bottle flew over my head and crashed into the wall next to the entryway. Taylor, looking up the stairs, shrieked. I heard a groan, a thump down the stairs, shouting. I placed my hand on the door that led outside, and looked back for the first time. Chad lay doubled over at the bottom of the stairs, Taylor at his side, and the others fought at holding back my brother. Our eyes met, and I turned and walked out the door.

"Bitch!" I heard him yell, but I continued on down the sidewalk. I opened the unlocked door of Troy's car, slid into the passenger seat, and pulled my knees up to my body, sobbing into them.

"Sharpay?" I looked behind me to see Gabriella, barely holding her eyes open as she struggled to stay conscious. "Why are you crying? You... You don't have anything to be sad about. You have the perfect life."

I shook my head. "Go back to sleep, Gabriella." She nodded, and passed out again within seconds.

I put my head back down, and listened. Even from out here in the car, I could hear the crazy commotion taking place inside. My sense of time was distorted as I sat crying; I don't know how much time passed before I heard the sound of the back door opening and a body being thrown into the empty seat. Troy entered on the driver's side; placed his hand on my shoulder comfortingly. The drive home was silent, but full of the pain, regret, and sorrow caused by the many mistakes made in one single night.

-----------

**Ryan's POV**

Pain. Excruciating pain. It was the only thing I could feel throughout my entire body as I slowly awoke that Saturday morning. Agonizing as it was, I managed to sit up in bed and look around. I was in Troy's bedroom, where Sharpay and I had been sleeping all week. But now it was different. I was in the bed, and my sister was nowhere to be seen. Looking to the floor, I found Gabriella sleeping calmly. This confused me. _'Why is Gabriella here?'_ I wondered. I slid out of bed, wincing as I did so, and clumsily stumbled across the room. My head was throbbing, as well as every muscle in my body.

_'What happened to me?'_ I thought as I walked toward the stairs, feeling my body swaying. I almost tripped a few times on the way down, but I eventually made it into the living room. Troy was sleeping on one. The other had sheets, a blanket, and a pillow, all three wrinkled as if someone had been sleeping there before. I uneasily made my way through the house, past the entryway and through the kitchen that smelled like coffee. Just beyond the dining area were an open wooden door and a closed screen door that led outside. Through the mesh exit, I could see the dim outline of a feminine figure leaning on the porch rail, holding a small mug in her hands as she stared out over the landscape. Sharpay.

I pushed open the door. Hearing the sound, she turned, but only glared and went back to her coffee when she saw it was me. I walked out and stood next to her. She turned away.

"Shar, are you mad at me for something?" I asked. She turned back to me, glaring again.

"No, of course not!" she snapped sarcastically. Only now did I notice tiny scars across her face, down her neck, traveling the length of her arms. I trailed a finger down one of her arms, feeling the uneven surface.

"What are you doing?" she asked, hints of anger, fear, and paranoia in her voice as she jolted away from me.

"What happened to you?" She gaped at me, disbelieving.

"You're kidding. You were so wasted that you don't even remember?"

"Wasted? What are you talking about?" I gave her a look of confusion, but she only shook her head.

"If you don't remember, you probably shouldn't even know."

"Shar, who hurt you like this?"

Her eyes began to tear up, but she quickly wiped them to prevent herself from crying.

"Shar, tell me what's wrong," I insisted, stroking her hair. I was surprised when she shoved my hand away.

"Don't touch me," she commanded seriously.

"Why not?" She was silent. "Listen Shar, every limb in my body is aching and my head is pounding harder than it ever has before. The only thing that makes that worse is the fact that I have no idea why I feel this way. Will you _please_ just tell me what happened yesterday?"

"You wouldn't be able to handle it," she said quietly.

"I can handle anything."

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes." She sighed.

"Fine. I'll tell you. But don't say I didn't warn you." She inhaled deeply, exhaled, and then began with a statement that blew my mind. "You're the one that hurt me like this."

"What?" I asked, bewildered.

"You attacked me, Ryan. Maybe you don't remember it now, but you did. You were drunk, and now I would assume that now you're hung over. Don't even ask how much alcohol you had because I couldn't even guess, but I know it was a lot." A scene suddenly flashed into my head, a remembrance. _'Gabriella was drunk. She was the one that gave me the alcohol in the first place.'_

"Gabi..." I murmured. Sharpay nodded.

"You got her drunk, too. She passed out long before anyone found you two."

"No, she was drunk first. She brought alcohol from home, and she gave me some. But that's the last thing I remember." My sister sighed again, and I could tell by her face that she wanted to say more. I gave her a look, silently telling her she could say anything she needed to. Looking back at me, tears welling in her eyes, she spoke in a wavering voice.

"Why did you drink it? I know you have good ethics, so why in the world would you do something like that?" It was the one question I didn't want her to ask, but I knew we would never get this resolved if I didn't answer.

"I was jealous," I said, keeping it simple.

"You were jealous?" I nodded, and she continued. "You were jealous because you thought I was letting Troy replace you as my protector and I didn't need you anymore?"

"What makes you think that?"

"You told me last night when you were drunk, but I was hoping that wasn't how you really felt." When I didn't say anything she reluctantly put her arms around me, as if she knew it was what she needed to do, but at the same time was afraid of something simple as a hug.

"Ryan?"

"Yeah?"

"You need to understand something. No matter what sweet things Troy could ever think of doing for me, he could never replace you in my life. Sixteen years just don't disappear like that. You are, have been, and always will be the number one guy in my heart, and nothing will ever, _ever_, change that."

"Not even what I did last night?"

"Not even that. Do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because I know that's not the kind of person you are. I know you are nothing like our father, and last night was just a simple mistake that will never happen again because I know you're better than that. Right?" She looked up at me, questionably. I could only nod; my heart had ached when her gaze fell on me. The uncertainty and anxiety I saw in her eyes reflected into my own feelings. The thought that my own sister would doubt my morality and righteousness and the sight of her weary, torn up body sent me into a whirlwind of fears about the past, present, and future. _'What have I done? I beat up my own sister. What if this happens again? Will it be worse next time? Am I exactly like my father? ...Is it possible that I could be even worse than him?'_

"Ryan?" Sharpay's voice suddenly sounded in alarm. "Are you okay? You don't look well. Maybe we should get you some medication. Troy and the guys really did a number on you last night. They had to _literally_ beat you senseless to get you to come home…"

Taking my arm, she continued to go on about other things that had happened last night as she led me into the kitchen and began to search through the medicine cabinet. But to me, the world and the setting in the surrounding area were both a giant blur, with their only noise being the girlish buzz that slowly began to fade into the distance. Everything became more and more distorted, all shapes disappearing and colors darkening into a murky cloud, until …

"Ryan!" she screamed, but it was too late. The cloud overtook me, and all was black.

**Sodagirl Says**: Okay, just as a little trivia note, I made up the last part of this just as I was writing this. I suddenly had an inspiration, and that's what came out of it. I originally planned for the chapter to end differently, but I changed it :D Okay, so review now and you should see an older chapter or two being revised in the near future, as well as chapter 13 and probably the next chapter of _Wishing You Well_ too! X's and O's:D


	13. A Special Kind of Bond

Flame of my Heart

by hotsodagirl

**Summary**: A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre**: Romance/Drama

**Rating**: T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says**: Omg, I am _so _sorry it took me so long to update! School has been... shall we say demanding? So many projects and stuff... dead And there was also the dilemma of what would happen in this chapter because I didn't know what to do to continue on since I changed the ending of the last chapter from my original planning :P And then of course there was Thanksgiving, and I couldn't update the instant I finished because I was gone… But it's done now, and I think I'm back on track as far as the storyline goes.

So anyways, I have finished revising chapter one of this story, but I probably won't put it up until I have a few more done. It was kind of weird because the other day I put the entire story on one document and I read through it. I never noticed a difference in the way I was writing before, but reading the whole thing at once really put that into perspective. I honestly think I've been getting better with my writing as I went along, which is exactly what I was aiming for. So I just want to thank you all for sticking around through this whole thing. If I've planned correctly, we're about halfway through the story _now _since I split that one chapter up into 3 parts. I think there's going to be 25 chapters now, so thanks in advance for sticking with me through the rest and whatever is to come in the future!

Enjoy chapter 13! Oh, and I'm sorry for making you all worry about Ryan. He'll be okay ;D Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! And once again, don't forget to check my profile for the latest news and updates!

P.S. Sorry for this being an _additional_ 2 days late! FFN was being slow or something and it wouldn't put my chapter up:( Okay, read on!

**Chapter Thirteen: A Special Kind of Bond**

**Troy's POV**

"Troy! Troy, wake up!"

I groaned inwardly, slightly put out at the sound of a female voice yelling mingled with the sensation of being aggressively rocked back and forth. Groggily, I pulled the blanket up over my head in the hope of escaping the nuisance of waking up. This motion seemed to provoke the female voice, and before I knew what had happened I had been shoved, my head hitting the ground first and my body flipping over itself to result in an incredibly uncomfortable position. I rolled over slowly and looked up into the face of my girlfriend, dazed.

"Sharpay?"

"Come with me," she said seriously, yanking me up from the ground. I attempted to figure out what was going on as she half-led, half-dragged me into the kitchen, her face etched more with worry and fear than true anger. Something had to be horribly wrong. The only times I had ever seen that kind of look on her face were when something awful had happened involving-

"Oh God... Sharpay, what happened?" I asked as we both rushed to her brother's unconscious body, me kneeling next to him and her standing next to me. One of the nearby metal barstools was overturned; several medicine bottles were on the floor, one of which was open and had its contents spread across the floor. Ryan lay next to these, a pool of crimson fluid slowly growing by the area near his head, expanding easily across the clean, white tile.

"Troy... you don't think... I mean, he's okay, right? ...He's not... Is he?" Sharpay mumbled incoherently, her words even harder to understand with her hands covering her mouth.

"Call 911," I instructed, pressing two fingers against Ryan's wrist. When I noticed the girl next to me hadn't moved, I gave her a reassuring look. "He'll be fine; he's alive."

This appeared to help her a bit, and she quickly departed and returned with her cell phone. As soon as I saw her dialing the numbers, I returned to her brother once more. I wasn't exactly sure what to do - I was a basketball player, not a doctor - but I had taken a first aid class a few years ago and I thought I could remember some stuff from that time. _'Although I probably should have been paying a little more attention... or any attention, for that matter... oh well, it's too late to worry about that now.'_ I sat him up, leaning the upper half of his body against the counter. His blood smeared on my hands; it matted his hair and proceeded to flow down the marble slab to the floor beneath us.

Suddenly, I heard a thump behind me. I turned around to see Sharpay passed out on the ground, phone still in hand. I could hear the man on the other side of the line. "Hello?" he asked urgently. "Is everything okay?"

Letting Ryan fall back to the floor, I scrambled across the tile, blood soaking my jeans and the ends of the sleeves of my shirt, the clothes I had failed to change out of the night before. I took the phone from my girlfriend's hand, holding it up to my ear.

"Hello?"

"What's the emergency?"

"Um..." I sighed, running my free hand loosely through my hair. "I don't really know what's going on but my friend is unconscious in my kitchen and there's a lot of blood... and my girlfriend just passed out, too..." I continued on to tell the man my address, noting to myself that this was the second time this week I had had to call for an emergency vehicle.

"An ambulance will arrive shortly," the man said before hanging up. Stupefied, half because of the panic of an emergency and half because I was still drowsy, I let the phone fall to the floor and myself against one of the chairs at the kitchen table. Closing my eyes, I shouted for my parents and barely saw the indistinct figure of a frail, puzzled brunette before I fell into a deep slumber.

-----------

**Sharpay's POV**

My eyes slowly fluttered open, and I sensed the impression of becoming blinded as the light reflecting off of four plain, white walls crashed into my retinas. I flinched, covering my face with my hands. _'Where am I?'_ I wondered, risking another glimpse at the room that contained me. My eyes slightly adjusted, I was able to receive a better picture of my surroundings, not that there was much to see. Aside from the bright walls, there were two empty chairs and a table near one wall and a beeping monitor directly at my side. I had seen such monitors before, and the knowledge of these things told me where I was.

The hospital.

But why?

Ryan.

"Ryan!" I yelled, sitting up hastily. The room revolved around me, not unlike the way the planets revolve around the Sun. Me. I was the Sun, the bright, shining star that all things orbited around. I fell back to the bed beneath me, watching the worlds loop around. There was Mars. There went the Earth. Somewhere far off, I heard a door open, and another came upon me. Pluto, small yet mighty and defiant. It refused to revolve about me. Instead it swayed from left to right, taunting me by creating multiple false copies. It was impossible to designate the real thing, and it made me infuriated.

"Revolve around me, Pluto!" I demanded, and all the planets disappeared unexpectedly. I faced the white walls once again.

"Are you okay, Sharpay?" I heard a high-pitched voice ask. I looked to the foot of my bed, the place where Pluto once stood, and found Candi Bolton staring up at me, looking confused and quite concerned.

"Yeah..." The girl smiled, walking from the foot to the side and sitting on the edge of my bed. My eyes traveled along the criss-crossing lines on the ceiling, performing a mindless task as my brain tried to focus on the reality of the situation.

"We were all really worried about you," Candi said, her face pointed upward in an attempt to see what it was I was looking at. "It's a good thing Troy called for us and 911. Of course, me and my parents didn't hear him calling, but Gabriella did. She's doing pretty bad too, you know? I don't know what's wrong with her. No one will tell me. No one is telling me anything, you know? You and her and Ryan are all checked in here right now, but if it wasn't for her you all could have been in a tight spot, including Troy. He was checked into the hospital earlier, but he's okay now. I think Gabriella really saved you all. She woke Mom and Daddy up right before she passed out, just like the three of you did. But Ryan's the worst. Do you know what happened to him? Troy woke up earlier, but he said he didn't know what happened. Sharpay, what's going on?"

The girl was a mouthful, and for once in my life I didn't know what to say. Even if I had, I didn't have the answers she was looking for. I only knew the story through what I had experienced, and that didn't explain what had happened. Talking; I had been talking to Ryan, telling him of the things that had happened the night before. I was looking for medicine to help his pain, when suddenly he fell to the side, hitting his head on one of the Bolton family's barstools. Scared, I ran for Troy, and when we returned blood surrounded my brother. Because of the things our father did to him, one would think I would be used to the sight of blood by now. But I wasn't. I became petrified with each sight of blood, and that anxiety mixed with the fear that my brother was in a dire situation had caused _me_ to pass out. But why had Ryan done the same in the first place?

"Sharpay?"

I shook my head. I couldn't talk about the things I was feeling around a little girl. If she understood it at all, it would just worry her more than necessary. I needed to talk to someone who could help; someone who always knew the right things to say and could tell me more of what was occurring. I needed to talk to Troy.

"Candi, could you go get your brother for me?" I asked, receiving a hesitant nod in reply. The girl walked to the door, her braided brown pigtails bouncing with each step. At the doorway she paused, turning back to me.

"Just for the record," she said, her voice holding the same conceited snootiness one could find in mine on a daily basis and her lips forming my famous fake smile. "_You_ are way too cool for my lunkhead brother. But... I'm glad he has you, because sometimes he really is a great guy."

As easily as it had come, her superior attitude had disappeared with her last statement and I could once again see the sweet, innocent girl she really was. My thoughts turned to myself as she skipped out of the room. _'Is that how Troy sees me? Out of all the students in East High School, was he the only one that could see straight through my icy exterior? And... That would explain why he chased after me this whole week, because even after the first day our family had moved in with his, he could see my true self even when I wasn't trying to show it. But that was what he wanted. He's always wanted me to show the girl I am in reality.'_

"I hear someone wanted to see me?" I heard his voice ask, and I turned to see him leaning against the doorframe.

"Maybe," I said teasingly, a genuine smile on my face. His boyish grin broke out across his features as he crossed the room, pulling one of the chairs up next to the bed and taking my hand. His face was bruised up once more, just as it had been at the beginning of the week, only this time it was a lot worse.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm good; I'm fine, but... what happened?"

"I was hoping you could tell me," he said, looking into my eyes expectantly. "Ryan didn't hurt you this morning, did he?"

"No!" Realizing I had shouted a little too loudly in defense of my brother, I continued on in a softer manner. "No, he didn't hurt me. He didn't even remember what happened last night. We were talking and then suddenly he just... passed out. And that's all I know."

Troy sighed, squeezing my hand gently. "Well, none of us are exactly sure _why_ he passed out, so we had hoped you would know something. The biggest problem is the amount of blood he lost. They've been vague about how long he'll have to stay checked in here because they're not exactly sure how bad he's doing. A few days, maybe, but they told us that you and Gabi could both leave if you woke up today and felt well enough to do so. She hasn't come around yet, and neither has your brother. But... they are going to be in so much trouble when they do."

"What do you mean?" I asked, tilting my head questioningly.

"The staff here ran tests on all of us while we were still asleep, to see if maybe they could find a possible reason for why we were all passed out, and they found some alcohol still in Ryan and Gabriella's systems."

"Oh no," I breathed, receiving only a nod in reply. "What's going to happen to them?"

"I don't know yet. Gabriella's mother was fuming when she found out, and yours started crying harder than she already was from worrying over Ryan. I guess she was afraid he's starting to turn into his father." I was silent, remembering I was distressing myself over the same thoughts early this morning. "I don't know what they're going to do, but my dad told me there's a possibility that the law will get involved because of underage drinking."

"The law?!" I exclaimed, again sitting up too hastily. Feeling the room beginning to spin around me, I closed my eyes tightly and lowered myself back to the bed, inhaling and exhaling deeply. I felt Troy's grip tighten, his free hand brushing against my forehead soothingly.

"It's just a possibility," he said, his voice rushed in an attempt to sound encouraging. "It probably won't be a big deal or anything; it'll just be a fine. It won't even be a big fine since neither of them were driving. I'm sure it won't be an issue since your family is rich."

"Just a fine?"

"Yeah, it's not as if the police are going to arrest them or anything. They didn't hurt anyone but themselves. And even if they did, you'd be okay, right?"

My eyes shot open, automatically forming a glare that landed on the guy sitting next to me. "What?"

"I just mean that it's not like you really _need_ Ryan like you used to since your dad isn't around anymore and you have me now." When my icy glare intensified, he thought back on what he had said and his appearance changed from confident to regretful. "No, wait-"

"Ex_cuse_ me?!" I yelled, the door rattling from the strength of the retreating sound waves.

"Sharpay, I didn't mean it like that…" he said, trying to recant what he had said. I shook my head furiously, snatching my hand away from his.

"Don't you ever – EVER – talk that way, understand? My brother is good for more than just defending me from my father and you could _never_ take his place in a million years! Ryan and I have a special kind of bond that can't be broken – not by stupid boyfriends _or_ annoying girlfriends! You don't seem to want to understand that, so I am going to ask you to go get someone to take me off of this _thing-­_" I gestured to the continuously-beeping monitor. "-and leave me alone for the time being, okay?"

"Sharpay-"

"Troy, _please_. Don't make things worse."

"I'm sorry," he muttered after a hesitant moment, kissing my cheek before standing and exiting through the single door in which he had come. Within minutes a nurse entered, checking my pulse and blood pressure before allowing me to rise from the bed. I did so shakily, holding on to the edge of it and the nurse's shoulder for support as I made my way toward the door.

"Where's my brother?" I asked the woman once we had walked out of the room. She looked on me sympathetically, something I didn't appreciate. It seemed to me that no one really understood me and Ryan aside from one to the other.

"He's in room 316," she said, her voice quiet and child-like as if I was a two-year-old and she was afraid she would worry me. "But if I were you, I wouldn't expect too much. He hit his head quite severely and lost a lot of blood. The doctors aren't expecting him to wake up today, maybe not even tomorrow. There's not much you'll be able to do." I shook my head, trying to hold back the amused smile that strained to form on my lips. Only twins know what twins are capable of; only twins know that words aren't an essential part of communication.

"I think I can manage on my own from here," I said, pressing my hand against the wall of the hospital corridor. I used it to lead me down the hallway, beyond the open and closed doors of the sick and injured patients. _310… 312… 314… 316. I'm here for you, Ryan._

The room was darkened; it became almost pitch black once I closed the door, only illuminated by the dim lights of the multiple monitors around the area. But I didn't need to see where I was going. I knew exactly where my brother rested. He gave me an unknown strength, and I was able to walk forward securely to the side of his bed. I still could not see him, but I felt an energy inside of me that told me he was here. I touched his hand; the energy rose as well as the frequency of beeps on several of the monitors. I ran my fingertips down the side of his face; the same response occurred. _Ryan…_

"Shar?" His voice was weak, but it was present. Smiling, I felt tears prick at my eyes, but I didn't try to wipe them away.

"I thought you'd come around," I whispered. I kneeled lower to the floor and soon felt his arms around me, protecting me from all my fears. He would never hurt me again; no one would ever hurt me again. As long as Ryan was with me, I was safe.

'_Do you still promise you'll never leave me?'_

_'I promise.'_

_'And you still promise you'll always protect me?'_

_'I will always protect you.'_

_'I know you will.'_

_'I love you, Shar.'_

_'I love you too, Ryan. Always…'_

_'And forever.'_

**Sodagirl Says**: Okay, that's the end of that chapter! That was all sugary sweet and such… so I'll have to change that mood within the next few chapters :P Yeah, the thing with me is that unless it's a one-shot, my story cannot stay sugary sweet for long. It's more fun to create drama and suspense -nods- Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Once again, I'm _really_ sorry about not updating in so long! This chapter probably should have been a lot lengthier… and better… due to the period of time it took me to write it, but there's not much I can do but try to get the next chapter up faster. I will give you this guarantee: You will not have to wait until my next vacation for the next chapter. My next vacation starts December 20, so even if I was going to make you wait that long it would be a shorter wait than this one was. But I will have it up before then! And another guarantee: Some really good stuff is on its way ;)

A few reminders for all you High School Musical super-fans: The HSM tour starts this Wednesday (I think) and goes through some time in January. Make sure to buy your tickets! I already have mine; my sister is taking me and my BFF, aka Hsmgirl92! It is going to be _so fun_! We're talking about _Lucas Grabeel_, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Monique Colman, Corbin Bleu, and Drew Seely! No Zac, but I think we'll live. Maybe. :P

The other reminder is that High School Musical: Remix Edition comes out on December 5. Now, I know you all probably already have the Encore Edition, as do I, but the Remix Edition has 2 discs with a lot more extras than the Encore Edition did. And it's blue:P I'm buying it, and I'm pretty sure my best friend is too, since she's got some money soon for holiday pet-sitting :D Okay, you can review now! Mucho thanks in advance!


	14. Beginning of a New Problem

Flame of my Heart

by hotsodagirl

**Summary**: A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre**: Romance/Drama

**Rating**: T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says**: Okay, this seems like a really _really_ short chapter to me! I promise when I guaranteed an update before December 20 I didn't know it would be this short! But I was writing this chapter, which is kind of just a filler chapter to move the story along, and it just ended up really short. The next chapter should be up pretty soon, as well as a one-shot I've nearly finished. And please don't forget to review! Thanks!

**EDIT: **Oops, I forgot to put the summary and such up there! I just thought about that today during school and I was like, Did I do that? It turns out I didn't but it's fixed now:P

**Chapter Fourteen: Beginning of a New Problem**

**Gabriella's POV**

"Gabi, I just don't understand why you would do something like that!"

Sunday morning, I sat on one of the couches in our living room, my head hanging and my hands folded in my lap guiltily. My mom had given me all of Saturday to recover from my hangover and fainting episode, but began scolding me almost the instant I had awoken the next morning. She had been at it for at least a half hour by now, and she showed no signs of slowing down.

"You _know_ better than that, _mija_! Your ethics are better than what you have shown! Do you even realize how many things you did wrong Friday night? You _stole_ from me and the McKessie's, you lied to _everyone_,and you got yourself and another boy drunk! Not to mention the violence that was caused _because_ of that! Sharpay was hurt very badly, and all of the boys in that fight had to receive medical attention! Gabriella, what were you thinking? This situation could have been _a lot_ worse than it was, and you're just lucky it wasn't! I do not _believe_ the-"

Fortunately, the sound of a cell phone's ringtone, my mother's ringtone, blared at that moment, interrupting her endless speech. She huffed exasperatedly, giving me a look that said 'I'm not finished yelling at you yet, so don't you dare move a muscle' as she picked her phone up from the coffee table and walked into the hallway to answer her call. I sighed, and then to make sure my mother was out of sight before I withdrew my own cell phone.

_'RYAN-IM IN SO MUCH TROUBLE WAT ABOUT U?'_

Flipping it closed, I sighed once more and leaned my head against the back of the couch. If I strained my ears to their full potential, I was able to make out a phrase or two occasionally from my mother's conversation. Though indistinct and muffled, I could easily figure out that her attitude toward the person on the other line was completely different from the one she had just been using toward me. Her voice was bright and cheery as she talked between girlish giggles. Knowing she was talking yet again to her boyfriend, I couldn't help but laugh silently to myself. _'She almost sounds like me, and the more I think about it the more disturbing that is.'_

I felt the phone vibrate in my hand, and I listened carefully to my mother's voice. When I was sure she wouldn't be back anytime soon, I opened my phone and read the message from Ryan. _'I DONT NO MY MOM WAS STILL CRYING A LOT BUT I NO IM IN A LOT OF TROUBLE 2 BUT NOT AS MUCH SINCE IM STILL AT THE HOSPITAL'_

I texted back, _'OMG IM REALLY SORRY AGAIN 4 EVERYTHING I MESSED UP ALL WEEK BCUS I WAS SO CAUGHT UP IN MAKING SHARPAY MAD TELL HER IM SORRY 2'_ As I closed my phone again, I heard my mother's voice grow louder behind me.

"… talked about it, but let me go ask her first." I stood and turned around as she walked into the room, holding the bottom of the phone away from her mouth and covering it with her hand. "Gabi, do you remember a few days ago when we were talking about my boyfriend coming over for dinner? We said we'd do that today; are you feeling fine enough to meet him for brunch instead?"

I nodded, holding my phone low behind my back where she couldn't see it. Smiling, she finished her conversation standing in the doorway. "Okay, that'll be fine… yes… yeah, I'm about to leave in a minute… mm hmm… okay, I'll see you later… I love you, too… okay, bye."

Her boyfriend must have had a positive impact on her, for when she hung up her phone she looked considerably calm compared to how she had been only minutes before. "I have to run down to the store to buy some stuff to make. I'll be back in about half an hour, okay? Lock the doors, don't answer the door for anyone unless it's my boyfriend, and he'll let you know somehow that it's him. Oh, and by the way, you're grounded for the rest of the week."

"What? But Mom, that's not fair!" I whined, pouting slightly.

"You're right; I _should_ be grounding you for a lot longer, but since next week is Spring Break I'm going to be nice and cut off your punishment at the end of the week," my mother said, looking at me warningly. "And if you have any other complaints, I _will_ ground you over your vacation, so I wouldn't make any comments if I were you, understand?" I nodded obediently. "I'll see you later then, honey." She walked over to me, kissed me on the forehead, then took her purse and departed through the front door.

I sighed, upset that I would be grounded even though I knew she was right. My phone vibrated once more, so I opened it as I flopped back down to the couch. _'ILL TELL HER BUT U NO U WERENT THE ONLY 1 TRYING TO MAKE SUM1 MAD SHE DID IT 2 BUT ILL LET HER NO UR SORRY NEWAY'_

I quickly texted, _'R U FEELING OK ENUF 2 TALK 2 ME?'_ and almost immediately received the reply, _'YES IM SO BORED CALL ME' _Doing just as he said, I hit _2_ and _TALK_, using the speed dial to promptly reach his number. He answered on the first ring.

"Gabi!"

"Hey Ryan," I said, giggling at his eager greeting.

"God, I miss you. This place is horrible! I feel fine; I don't see why they won't let me go. Just because of a little gash in the back of my head-"

"Make that a _big_ gash in the back of your head!" I corrected, remembering the state in which I had entered the Bolton's kitchen the previous morning. Three passed out teenagers, one of whom was producing blood at a rate I had never seen before.

"Yeah, whatever. Can you come down here with me?" he asked hopefully. I cringed, wanting nothing more than to be with my boyfriend while at the same time knowing my mother would kill me if she found out.

"I sorry, but I can't. My mom grounded me for a week," I admitted dejectedly. I heard Ryan give a long sigh on the other side of the line.

"I don't want you to get in trouble, so I _guess_ you don't have to come visit me. I'll just lie here… alone… listening to my heart monitor… all by myself…" He sighed again, this time tremendously over-dramatic.

"Stop it!" I cried. "You're making me feel bad!" His laugh rang out.

"Don't worry; I don't mind. Not that I _don't_ want you here, because I do, but I'm just saying that it's okay that you're not here… although I want you to be."

"I want to be there, too, and I would do anything to be with you if I could." He was silent for a moment, as if thinking, and then offered an inane solution.

"I've got an idea," he announced. "Go in your kitchen and get a knife. It needs to be a really sharp knife, like a steak knife or a butcher knife. Then stab yourself in the leg, and-"

"Ryan!" I yelled. He laughed again.

"Gabs, chill. I'm only joking. I don't think you would need to be _that_ over-the-top to get down to the hospital. No, you just stay in your safe little home and don't hurt yourself, okay?"

"Okay," I agreed.

"So if you're grounded, why is your mom letting you talk to me?"

"Um… she doesn't know I'm talking to you. She's not here right now."

"Ah, I see. If I could get up out of this bed, I'd go over there and visit you. But I don't think they'll let me." I heard a woman's voice in the background, then he groaned and I could practically see him wincing. "Sorry Gabi, but I have to go. A nurse wants to stick some needle in me. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," I replied as enthusiastically as possible. "When do you think you'll be back in school?"

"Hopefully soon. They said they didn't think I'd be back this week, but they _also_ said I wouldn't be awake for a few more days and here I am talking to you. I think I'll be back in almost no time."

"That's good. So I'll see you then?'

"Yeah, I'll see you."

"I love you, Ryan."

"I love you too, Gabi."

No sooner than I had hung up my cell phone on Ryan, I heard our home telephone ring from the kitchen. Dropping my phone on the coffee table, I hopped over the back of the couch and hurried to answer the other phone. I picked it up and held it in my hand, studying the displayed number before hitting _TALK_. _555-0503._ It wasn't a number I recognized, at least not until I looked down and saw my mother's handwriting scrawled across a Post-It note. _Michael – 555-0503_, it read. _'Michael…'_ I immediately connected that name to my mother's boyfriend and, assuming it was him, answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello," a man's voice said on the other line. "I'm looking for Gabriella Montez."

"This is her speaking, how may I help you?" I asked, using my proper telephone manners.

"Ah, Gabriella. This is Michael, your mother's boyfriend. She said to call you when I got to your house, and I'm here now." I peeked through the blinds and saw that, indeed, a man was walking up the driveway to our front door.

"Oh, okay. I see you. I'll go let you in."

"Thank you, Gabriella." I saw the man outside close his phone at the exact time the conversation ended on my line, so I knew he was the right guy. I set the phone back in its holder before rushing to the front door, opening all the locks, chains, and deadbolts. Once finished, I pulled back the heavy wooden door and gasped as the man stepped into my house and took off his sunglasses. His light blonde hair, his sky blue eyes… I could have sworn I was looking directly into the face of my boyfriend. But that couldn't be right. Ryan was in the hospital, and this man looked a decent amount older than the blonde boy I had recently been conversing with. The confusion may have been obvious by my shocked appearance, because the man held his hand out to me, a smile not unlike Ryan's friendly grin spread across his face.

"Gabriella, it's so nice to finally meet you. My name is Michael Evans, and-" These were the last words I heard before feeling myself collapse to the floor. In the split seconds before fainting for the second time that weekend, Ryan's voice flowed through my head.

_My dad's cheating on my mom…_

_He's… a huge jerk…_

_If my dad were to get custody of Sharpay…_

_My father. This is the damage he's done over the past decade or so. This is what he does to us. What happened to Shar wasn't an accident. He did that to her…_

_It was nothing compared to what he usually does to me… What you see isn't even the worst of it…_

'_Oh my gosh… what have I caused?'_ I thought. Then everything disappeared and there was nothing.

**Sodagirl Says**: That… was _so short_! And kind of rushed at the end. Ugh, that bothers me! I'm so sorry everyone! I feel horrible, really! I just hope the drama that is coming soon will make up for it! Omg, I can't believe this is just _barely_ over 2000 words! Sorry, I have high expectations of myself. That's why I'm revising the older chapters, which should be up soon! I've completely finished one, but I want to at least get a few before I start reposting them.

And, by the way, I _do _remember that some of you guessed that Ryan's dad and Gabriella's mom were dating back in Chapter 8… I think… Anyway, I didn't say anything at the time, but you were right! That's what's going on. So, as you can imagine, that is where the good drama is going to come from in the next few chapters! Let's see, um… the next few chapters will be _really _good, for the most part. We're going to get some catfights, fistfights, fights between couples, and some big drama including, yes, more fights and violence! Then the next chapters after that will be calmer, with some sweet stuff, and then there's the finale. And that's where we're headed. :D I hope ya'll enjoy it.

Okay, review now! And again, I'm sorry for the shortness!


	15. The Truth

**Flame of my Heart  
**by hotsodagirl

Summary: A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

Genre: Romance/Drama

**Rating**: T, just to be safe

: A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?: Romance/Drama 

**Sodagirl Says**: Hey everyone, what's up? First things first, I'm sure all of you that haven't been able to go to the concert yet are just dying to hear about it! Of course, I'm sure you've been all over YouTube watching videos as well, but I just want to talk about it for a little while. Why? Because it was one of the most amazing things I've ever experienced! Seriously, if they haven't been in your area yet and there's still time to get tickets, buy them because it'll so be worth it! I mean, I _know_ they're coming out with a DVD of the concert eventually, but it's so much more amazing to see it in person. They entire thing was just like… magical, because there were all these people there and we all knew all the words to all the songs and it was just so cool. If you're as big a High School Musical fan as I am, which I'm assuming you are, the concert will be one of the most incredible things you will ever go to in your entire life. And if you love Lucas as much as I do, you'll _definitely_ want to go! His emceeing and his dancing are just so hott; you will _not_ want to miss it!

Okay, so let's talk about something that actually has to do with the story! As you will notice, I did this chapter in a third-person point of view. It felt really weird, though, because I haven't done a chapter in third-person POV since chapter four, and I'm even going to change that in first-person when I revise it. I started this chapter in Sharpay's point of view and I got about a paragraph after she finished her journal entry into the story when I blanked out. So I read over what I had already written and decided it wasn't working and I changed it to third-person. I think it works best that way. And… that's about all I have to say. Oh, but don't forget to check out and review the new, revised edition of chapter one if you haven't already, as well as my new one-shot, _Slipped Away_! I would also suggest checking out Hsmgirl92's new one-shot, _The Letter_. In my opinion it's her best writing yet, so go review it for me! That's kind of ironic that we posted those around the same time because they both involve character death… Well anyway, I just want to say thanks to all of you for the wonderful reviews, as always, because you know they really mean a lot to me! R&R!

**Chapter 15: The Truth**

_Sharpay's Diary_

'_Dear Diary,_

_This weekend has been hectic, to say the least. Everything went so wrong, and I can't help but feel like it's partly my fault. I admit to wanting to wreck Gabriella's life, and maybe if I hadn't done the little trying that I did my weekend might have been better. Ryan's in the hospital now. The doctors say he won't be out by the end of the week, but I don't believe them. The last time they made an inane medical prediction Ryan was able to disprove them, with my help. They said he wouldn't wake up for a few days, but he was as alert as could be within ten minutes of my entering the room…'_

She paused in her writing, her fuzzy pen suspended above the light pink pages, and wondered if she should attempt to explain what had happened the previous morning. The incident was almost impossible to explain to one who had never experienced it, for there were no words to describe the relationship twins were capable of possessing. As she gave it a second thought, she decided against dragging out my entry much longer either way. She was no longer in the writing mood, only having the energy to finish off the paragraph.

_'… I guess it was our twin thing. I'm just glad he's okay now. I mean, I was so mad at him on Friday, but now I'm just grateful that he and I are both alive and, for the most part, healthy._

_Toodles,_

_Sharpay'_

Sharpay Evans leaned over from where she sat on the Bolton's couch and set her journal with its matching pen delicately on the coffee table, turning immediately thereafter to gaze out the open window alongside the top of the caramel colored sofa. The sight of a light rain on a Sunday afternoon was appealing to her deep brown eyes, and it somehow brought a sense of comfort to the blonde girl. Her chosen attire that day was a similar style to that of the previous Sunday morning. Her hair was pulled up into a high, messy ponytail and, caring not about the noon hour, was still dressed in her pajamas: pink-and-black plaid flannel pants, a black tank top, and a hot pink zip-up sweater to protect herself from the cold front that had blown through over the weekend. A warm fire burned in the fireplace, a calming flame that seemed to want to care for her rather than destroy her. Few feet behind the girl stood another being that sought to care for her, an individual with loose brown hair and clear blue eyes. Those eyes stared at the blonde with feelings of sorrow, regret, and shame.

"Hey." Troy spoke loudly to get his girlfriend's attention, but discomfort was written all throughout his voice. Sharpay turned her head around, giving a small, impassive smile that told nothing of her current feelings for the shaggy-haired boy.

"Hey," she spoke back, her voice much softer than the other's. An awkward silence filled the room, and Troy cleared his throat uneasily. He wasn't yet sure what he could say to her that wouldn't sound stupid, but the silence was thick and almost unbearable.

"So… um- Nice weather we're having," he said, rambling off the first sentence that came to mind. She nodded, turning back to her window as the rain began to fall harder. He sighed, scratching the back of his head ruefully.

"Can… I sit with you?" he asked slowly, unsure what her reaction would be. It was an unperturbed, emotionless one as she repositioned herself on the couch to make room for him. He took this as a sign of forgiveness, or at the very least acceptance, and, as he sat down behind her, his assumptions were confirmed when she leaned backward, her slender body resting against his more muscular frame. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her thin waist and set his head gently on her shoulder, both pairs of eyes watching the ever growing shower through the glass pane.

"So…" he started once again, racking his brain for an intelligent thought.

"Don't, Troy," she said, shaking her head slightly. "If you have something to say, just say it and get it over with. It's better to not beat around the bush."

Silence.

Sharpay turned her head to the boy next to her, raising her eyebrows in an impatient manner. "Well?"

Troy sighed, looking sheepishly about the room. "Listen," he began. "I'm… I'm sorry, Sharpay. I'm sorry for what I said to you at the hospital yesterday. It wasn't right, and I didn't mean it. I would never want to come between you and your brother. You have to forgive me. I mean, everyone says stupid things sometimes, and… I say stupid things a lot of the time." Sharpay giggled at this, spreading a wide grin across the boy's face.

"That's good," he said, turning her body around in his arms to face him. Her glossy lips smiled, and as he stroked her cheek Troy felt that her smile was the sweetest thing he had ever seen.

"You know, I like hearing your laugh, and seeing your smile…" he whispered. She put her arms around his neck and leaned against him, lowering them both down to the couch. Her golden hair fell over them as she moved her face closer to his, her voice speaking softly.

"What about tasting my kiss?" she murmured, pressing her lips to his. He kissed her passionately in return, his tongue clashing with hers as it slipped into her mouth. His hands, cooled from the surrounding air, snuck underneath her tank top, and she inhaled sharply as his cold fingers made contact with her warm, flat stomach and explored her body. In more ways than one, Troy was reminded of the fantasies he once had about the supposed "Ice Queen," fantasies that had once seemed impossible but now appeared to be very real indeed…

The sudden blaring of a ringtone made both basketball champion and drama queen jump, quickly sitting up and separating themselves. The boy gave his girlfriend an apologetic look, and then ran off to find his phone. The blonde girl stayed on the couch, a continuous smile across her features as her eyes followed her boyfriend into the entryway. He picked up his cell from the small table there, smiling back at his girlfriend as he began to talk.

"Chad, hey man," he said, panting noticeably. Sharpay giggled once more as she heard the person clearly on the other end of the line. _'Hey man, what's up? You're breathing kind of heavy… Getting a little freaky with Sharpay, huh?'_

"Shut up, dude," Troy said, winking at the girl before turning and walking into the kitchen to finish his conversation. Sharpay, in turn, reached over and picked up from her purse from the coffee table, searching for her own cell phone. As she spotted it, she began to reach for it, but just before she touched the phone it began to ring. She pulled it out and a smile appeared once more on her face when she saw the person calling was the same as the one she herself was about to call. _'Twin telepathy,'_ she thought as she hit the _TALK_ button and held the phone to her ear.

"Hey, Ry!" she said enthusiastically, her joyful voice almost deafening. "I was just about to call you…"

Meanwhile, Troy's chat with his friend had taken place within a short amount of time. As he stuck his phone in the back pocket of his jeans, he noticed his girlfriend's voice and listened to the end of her conversation at the doorway.

"-our Sunday tradition… Um, yeah, I _know_ you're not here! That's why I'm going over there… What, you don't want to?... Of course I'll have fun! I'd only be bored if we _didn't_ do this, so don't worry about me… Uh huh… Okay… Yeah, I'll stop by there on the way over… Okay, good. I'll see you later… Goodbye… I love you, too!" He reentered the room as she was putting her phone back in her purse. Noticing his presence, she turned and smiled at him cheerfully.

"Hey, Troy. What did Chad have to say?" she asked as he sat down next to her.

"Oh, not much. He just said that a bunch of them are going to go chill at Starbucks and wanted to know if we would join them. Want to go?"

"Sorry," she said, slinging her purse onto her shoulder and standing before trying to step around the furniture as she made her way toward the stairs. "I can't. I have a date."

"A date?" Troy echoed, following her on her headstrong path in the direction of what was once his room. "With who?" Sharpay paused on the stairs, turning and laughing at his confused face.

"You're so cute when you're jealous," she said, leaning and kissing him quickly on the lips before continuing on her course. "But don't worry; I don't mean a date like a romantic way. I'm going to see my brother." She reached the bedroom door, but paused and turned around again instead of entering. "You don't have a problem with that, do you?" she asked, her voice holding more than a small hint of an icy attitude. He shook his head, knowing she was testing him. After what had happened the morning before, he knew better than to come between her and her brother again. She smirked, taking his right hand into both of hers.

"That's what I thought. And thank you, for not being difficult about this. I really do appreciate it. But this kind of situation is never going to come up again, right?" Another question, the same attitude. Troy nodded in response, earning himself a genuine smile.

"Good. In that case I need you to drive me down to the hospital, and we have to stop by Blockbuster on the way, too," Sharpay said, walking into the room and heading straight for the closet. Her boyfriend followed her, a curious look on his face.

"Okay, sure, but just out of curiosity why can't you drive yourself?" Sharpay laughed at his question while taking a pink skirt off of its hanger. She held it up to her body and examined it in the full-length mirror she had placed on the back wall.

"Are you kidding me? I can't drive!" she exclaimed. She stepped around him and set the skirt on the bed before returning into the closet. Kneeling down, she began to pick out accessories from a shelf on the right side of the area as she continued on with her explanation. "They tried to teach me, but there are just some things I guess I'll never know. I swear I must have taken that driver's test at least fifteen times before I just gave up on it. I figured Ryan could just drive me wherever I wanted. But now that Ryan's in the hospital…"

"You want me to be your chauffer," Troy finished for her. Sharpay nodded, smiling, and kissed him on the cheek.

"I knew you'd understand. So, do you want to stick around with us?" Troy thought about it for a moment, pondering on what his girlfriend could find more entertaining than going to Starbucks.

"Um… sure. What are you guys doing anyway?" The girl laughed at yet another one of his questions and tapped his nose playfully.

"I don't think it's really the kind of thing you would find exciting, but you've already agreed, so you're stuck now," she said, smiling like the Cheshire Cat. "Don't worry; it really is fun. Believe me."

-----------

"Ryan!" Sharpay squealed as she entered the hospital room a half hour later. He looked up from where he lay in bed and grinned.

"Hey Shar!" he greeted. She rushed to his side and hugged him tightly.

"Hey! How are you feeling? Are you doing well?" she asked. He nodded, smiling at his twin sister's enthusiasm.

"Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good now. I think I might even be in school tomorrow." He looked behind his sister and noticed for the first time Troy, standing in the doorway with a Blockbuster bag in his hand.

"Oh, hey… Is he staying?" Ryan asked, his question directed toward Sharpay. She nodded, the smile still present on her face.

"I asked him if he wanted to stay here with us. You don't have a problem with that, do you?" she asked. Troy couldn't help but notice her question was much different now to her brother than it had been when she had asked her boyfriend the same thing earlier. Then, it was as if it wouldn't have mattered what his answer was; she would have done what she wanted either way. But with Ryan, it seemed that if he said it was a problem then Sharpay would do whatever he said. Lucky for him, the blonde boy shrugged.

"Sure, he can stay with us if he wants to." The girl grinned, pushing her brother's shoulder.

"Move over, Ry. I want to lie down, too." She turned to her boyfriend, pointing at the television screen. "Put the DVD in and come sit down," she instructed. Troy did as was told and pulled a chair over once he got the movie started. Sharpay smiled at the brown-haired boy, intertwined her fingers with his, and rested her head against her brother as he put his arm around her shoulders.

"So, uh, what are we doing again?" the brown-haired boy asked.

"We're watching the musical, _Rent_," the girl answered, her eyes transfixed on the screen as the music began to play. "Every Sunday we watch at least one musical, and I wasn't about to stop the tradition just because of a few unfortunate circumstances." Troy nodded and leaned back in his seat, wondering what amazing thing was contained inside this movie that seemed to have captured his girlfriend. On screen, eight people appeared on a stage, but ten voices rang out beautifully.

"_Five hundred, twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes, Five hundred, twenty-five thousand moments so dear…_" Ryan and Sharpay sang in harmony with the on screen Mimi, Benny, Maureen, Collins, Rodger, Joanne, Angel, and Mark, and Troy sighed, feeling out of place. Musicals were such a big part of his girlfriend's life, and he knew nothing, nor truthfully did he really want to. He squeezed her hand gently, causing her to look over at him and smile. He smiled back, and both looked once again to the screen. He could get through this musical for her, and only for her, because he was his girlfriend. She was Sharpay Evans, and he loved her.

-----------

"Troy, drop me off here."

"What?"

"Drop me off here."

"Why?"

"I just… I need to do something. Don't worry; I'll be home before dinner."

"Okay… are you sure?"

"Troy, you worry too much. I'll see you later."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Sharpay quickly kissed her boyfriend before hopping out of his SUV and standing on the sidewalk as she watched his vehicle drive off into the distance. Once he was out of sight, she looked around at her surroundings. They were unfamiliar, and she pulled a map from her purse in a matter of seconds. _3200 Main Street, Apt. 292_ was scrawled in her girly handwriting across the top and the location had been starred and circled. That was where she needed to go. It was the place where she would find what she was looking for, and it was only two blocks away.

'_Why am I even doing this?'_ she asked herself as she began to walk down the street. _'Why do I feel the need to find my father? And why is it that I feel some connection in the whole situation is missing?'_

Ten minutes later, after locating the apartment momentarily devoid of people, climbing through a partly open window, and doing a quick search of the area, she knew the answers to all her questions. For on the bedside table was a framed photograph of her father and a Hispanic woman, whom she immediately recognized from Twinkle Towne performances as none other than Gabriella's mother. An angry rage suddenly filled the blonde girl's heart, and as she squeezed the sides of the picture the glass began to crack from the pressure.

'_It was Gabriella's fault all along…'_

**Sodagirl Says**: Okay, so this chapter was just kind of Troy and Sharpay making up, and then building on the whole Mr. Evans/Mrs. Montez thing. You _know_ there's going to be some good drama coming up soon, so review and stick around for what comes next! I guarantee you some things are going to happen a few chapters from now that you will have never even seen coming, so I hope you all enjoy it!

Another thing I have to say about this chapter is that I wrote over half of it while watching _Rent_, which is a really good musical by the way. I mean, I didn't like the parts where the gay people kissed because I don't support that, but I really liked the rest of it, especially the music. I absolutely love musicals, but I had never seen _Rent_ before. I rented it from Blockbuster the other day and I had just got around to watching it. Actually, I watched about half at my friend's house, then I came home and watched the whole thing, and then I let it play in the background as I worked on this chapter. So I had them watch _Rent_ just because it was on my mind. And, as a side note, the song "Rent" from the musical _Rent_ has been stuck in my head almost constantly for the part few days. There were a few times when other songs from the movie were stuck in my head, but it was mostly "Rent." :P

Thanks for reading! You may now review :D


	16. Rising Tensions

**Flame of my Heart  
**by hotsodagirl

**Summary**: A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre**: Romance/Drama

**Rating**: T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says**: I hope you all are having a good New Year! 2007, baby:D Sadly, I'm back in school. -_big sigh_- But no matter how demanding school _does_ get, I will try my best to write as much as possible so I can get you all updates more often!

So anyway, guess what? Including this chapter, we've got ten more to go! And, if you want to get really excited, some huge things are beginning to happen! I'm _very_ enthusiastic about the rest of this story, because all of this upcoming drama is the stuff I've been looking forward to and imagining in my head almost the whole time. So I hope you all like it as much as I do :D Sorry if I sound evil for saying that I am enjoying all of this, but drama is just fun to create! Don't worry; by the end of the story everything will be good… or will it? You'll just have to wait and find out!

Oh, and before I forget, I just want to apologize to anyone who reviewed the last chapter that I didn't reply to. And on the same note, I'm sorry if I normally review one of your stories and I haven't yet. FFN wasn't sending alerts there for a while, and it had been so long since I got an alert that when I finally went on the reviews page I couldn't remember who I had replied to and who I hadn't. So I'm really really sorry if I didn't reply to your review and I just want you to know that I really appreciate you all for reviewing. This story would not be what it is today if it weren't for you all.

So, for now, enjoy chapter sixteen, and stick around for more upcoming drama:D

**Chapter Sixteen: Rising Tensions**

**Gabriella's POV**

"Gabriella? … Gabriella, honey, wake up…"

My eyes slowly fluttered open to see my mother's face watching over me, transforming from worried to relieved in seconds. She smiled down at me, holding my hand anxiously in her own. A quick glance around the area told me I was in my bedroom, automatically making me feel relaxed and serene.

"Are you okay, _mija_?" she asked, and I nodded sleepily in response.

"Yea, I'm fine, but…" A thought came to mind and I gasped. "Mom, I had the worst dream! You had left, and your boyfriend came to our house, and he was… he was…"

"Hey, Gabi, how're you doing?" Mr. Evans asked, popping out from behind my mother. I screamed and sat up quickly, picking up one of my big, fluffy pillows and chunking it as hard as I could at the blonde man standing without permission in my room. My mother gasped, appalled, but I didn't care.

"Get out of my room!" I yelled, getting ready to throw another pillow. My mother reached out, hindering my attack with an angry expression on her face. Then she turned to her boyfriend, giving him an apologetic look.

"Give us a moment?" she asked. He nodded and gently kissed her lips, an action I could only gape at with revulsion. I leaned forward, putting my face into the pillow I had been preparing to hurt him with, and screamed again, even more loudly this time.

"Gabriella, what has gotten into you?!" my mother demanded the instant he had stepped out of the room. I sat back up, feeling both angry and worried about what could happen in the near future if no one put a stop to this.

"Mom, you _can't _date him!" I cried. When she gave me a look, I shook my head. "No Mom, really! I know who he is, and he's not a good person! By dating him, you could be putting _lives_ at stake!" I knew I was being a little melodramatic, but I had to get her to break up with him. He was Michael Evans, the man who had ruined both my boyfriend's and his sister's lives. He was an alcoholic. He had _beaten_ them. My mother just couldn't be dating him. However, she didn't seem to understand my unspoken reasons and interpreted her own ideas instead.

"Gabi…" she said softly, sitting on my bed and putting her hand over mine. "Honey, we've been through this before. When your father and I first divorced, I remember you always had a problem whenever I would date other guys. But we've talked about this. I thought you were okay with me going out and dating people again." I groaned.

"No, that's not it! I don't care if you date people; you just can't date _him_!" I exclaimed, gesturing to where the man stood outside my closed door.

"And why not?" she asked. This time I had nothing to say. I had promised Ryan I wouldn't tell anyone about his father, and I didn't think it would be right to break that promise without consulting him first. My mother, on the other hand, mistook my silence as me not having a reason for her not to date him, and she hummed thoughtfully.

"Mmm hmm, that's what I thought," she said.

"No!" I yelled, hitting the pillow with the palm of my hand. "I have a good reason for why you shouldn't date him! I just… I can't tell it to you. It's a secret someone told me and I'm not supposed to tell anyone." I looked into her eyes with urgency, but she was too blinded by her love.

"Honey, I'm not going to break up with this man just because you say so." She stood then, stroking my hair. "I really love Michael, and I have a good feeling that we're going to be together for a long time."

"Please don't say that," I begged. She only laughed and made her way toward the door, pausing when she reached it.

"I don't know what's bothering you, but you know there's nothing I can do to make it better until you tell me what it is," she said. I sighed and looked away to the window, silently telling her I wasn't going to talk about it anytime soon. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her frown sadly. As she left through the door and went downstairs with her boyfriend, I felt a single tear run down my cheek. I brought the pillow to my face once more and, my body shaking, I wept openly into it, unsure of what the future would hold because of this incident. I had a feeling that, whatever it was, it wasn't going to be pretty.

-----------

**Ryan's POV**

"Hey everyone, how's it going?" I said, strolling casually into the kitchen that Monday morning with a smile on my face. Sharpay looked up from where she had drowned her waffles in peanut butter and syrup and gasped.

"Ryan, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital?" she asked, staring at me in disbelief. I shook my head.

"Nope. They released me this morning and I thought I'd show up and surprise you." I held my arms out and, on cue, my sister leapt up from her seat and scurried over to me, running into my body and giving me one of the biggest embraces I had ever received. I hugged her back, but let her go moments later when I felt her body shaking ever so slightly and noticed as my shirt became increasingly wet where her eyes were. I held her out at length, examining her face and gripping the sides of her arms tightly when she tried to pull away from me.

"Shar… Shar, what's wrong?" I asked, worriedly. She had begun to cry uncontrollably, but she just shook her head.

"Nothing… I'm fine… Just… let me go… please…" Her voice sounded so pitiful, so heart wrenching, I could only do what she had said and let go of her. She turned immediately upon broken contact and hurried up the nearby stairs, proceeding directly for the comfort of her room.

"Shar!" I called out, but she was already gone, too far away to hear me.

"She's been like that ever since she got home yesterday," I heard a voice say behind me. I turned around to see Troy standing in the doorway, his eyes on his bedroom door. He looked over to me then, smiling weakly. "Do you think your twin thing can figure out what's wrong with her? I'm… I'm worried about her, man."

I nodded and started toward the stairs. Three steps up, something Troy had said only seconds before processed through my mind and I turned back to him. "Hold on a second," I said, walking up to him. "Did you say she was acting like that since _she_ got home yesterday? Didn't you two go home from the hospital together?"

Troy shrugged. "She asked me to stop somewhere along the way and drop her off." I looked at him incredulously.

"And you dropped her off, just like that?" I asked, my tone rising angrily. He nodded uneasily, unsure of what the big deal was.

"Well, yeah. She told me not to worry-"

"What is wrong with you?!" I cut him off, shoving him into the wall. "Don't you know anything? Where in your gigantic empty head did you decide that it was okay to leave _my_ sister in an unfamiliar part of the city all by herself?" He took in a breath, holding his index finger up as if ready to give his explanation, but then thought about it and evidently came upon the conclusion that he _had_ no explanation. He looked guiltily to the floor, frowning.

"That wasn't the best decision, was it?" he asked quietly. I shook my head.

"No, it wasn't, and now something's obviously happened to her. Now I'm going to go talk to her, and meanwhile I want you to try to figure out where your brain went, okay?" He nodded, and I shook my head again in disbelief of his stupidity. _'Really, how slow can a person be??'_

I turned back to the stairs, taking the steps two at a time until I got to the closed bedroom door. I pressed my ear lightly to it, seeing if I could hear anything. The room was silent, but I sensed her presence inside. I perceived her sadness through my own feelings, and when I listened once more I could faintly hear her crying. I cringed; the sound of her sobs was one of my least favorite sounds, for with that sound brought pain incomparable to any other. Sighing, I raised my hand to knock upon the wooden door, but it flew open just before I got the chance. Sharpay stood there, a saddened yet thankful look on her face.

"I was wondering how long it'd take for you to come check up on me," she said softly, almost inaudible. I nodded and entered past her into the room, closing the door behind us. She took my hand and I led her over to the unmade bed, pushing the covers out of the way to make room for us to sit. The hand I held was cold and shaking; the other clutched her stomach tightly. I squeezed the former reassuringly and smiled as comfortingly I could.

"Shar, tell me what's wrong," I said, looking into her teary brown eyes. She shook her head and tried to look away, but I pulled her back to me. "Shar, please. I need to know what's wrong with you." She mumbled something quietly, her voice actually inaudible this time, and I leaned toward her. "What was that?"

"I said I can't tell you!" she cried, letting out a loud sob before starting on another crying rampage. I immediately took her into my arms, patting her gently on the back.

"Shh… It's okay; don't cry," I whispered soothingly as she hiccupped into my shirt. "Now why can't you tell me?"

"Because… because I want you… to be happy…" she bawled shakily, looking up into my eyes. I frowned.

"What do you mean? How am I happier by not knowing what's wrong with you? If anything, I think I feel worse than I would if you told me. Won't you tell me?" She was silent, so I continued on. "Shar, I don't care what the problem is. I love you and if you're not happy then I'm not happy. But I need to know right now."

Sniffling, she shook her head and dabbed at the corners of her eyes, a pointless effort when her makeup was already smeared from crying. "Not now," she said, her voice still cracking. "Please, Ry, just let me try to figure out a few things first. I promise I'll tell you soon, but I can't now. Not yet." She looked hopefully into my eyes. "Can you wait?" she asked, and it was all I could do to nod and pull her into my arms, letting her release unto me the rest of her tears.

_For you, Shar, I'd do anything._

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**Sharpay's POV**

As we headed down the stairs, I put on an act. When we joined Troy and got into Ryan's brand new car, I held the same act. Even as we dropped Candi off at her school, I was able to pull off the act. It was an act of contentment, satisfaction, and even cheerfulness. I could hold most acts through almost anything, but I couldn't hold this particular one when I saw _her_ appear in the doorway of her house. My brother had gotten out of the car and walked up to her door, surprising her by showing up at all. I thought maybe I could have acted normally around her, but I realized within seconds that such a thing was impossible. All of the fury and rage I had felt the night before came back to me. I stared at the two in the doorway and thought, _'How many times has my father crossed through there? How many times has he been here? How long has that little _thing_ known about our parents' relationship, and why hasn't she told us anything?'_

"You okay?" Troy asked from beside me. My anger was obviously showing through my face, and I shook my head in a manner similar to my mood.

"I'm fine, except for _that_," I said, nodding in the direction of where Ryan and Gabriella stood hugging on the porch. My boyfriend looked back and forth from me to them, a confused look on his face.

"I thought we were all okay with the idea of our dating each other," he said. I rolled my eyes.

"We were, and that's the key word in this situation," I vented. "But now that I know another element to this mixed up story, I'm not okay with them dating and I'm not okay with even being around that little twit. You don't know and Ryan doesn't know, but I know and I know she knows whether she knows I know she knows or not, and if either of you knew then you would know why I'm not okay with it and then she would know she's not wanted because she would know that I know and that I told you so that you knew and you knew she knew that we knew she knew the whole time." There was a momentary silence before Troy obviously said the most intelligent thing he could muster.

"Huh?"

"Never mind!" I yelled, crossing my arms and looking away from everyone else as Ryan and Gabriella returned to the car. I glanced into the side view mirrors only once when we were finally in the school parking lot and found that Gabriella was staring guiltily back at me from the passenger's seat. It was all the proof I needed to know for sure that she knew all about my father and her mother. _'I know you know.'_

"I know you know!" I shouted, and it wasn't until everyone turned and looked at me strangely did I realize that I had actually said that out loud. Ryan cast the most worried glance over me, surely comprehending that my sobfest this morning has something to do with his girlfriend. I bit my lip then and wondered if I should just shut up and try to disappear completely. It had been three days since our last drama, and such drama seemed to almost always start with me and her. I didn't want to make Troy and Ryan have to choose sides between us, but did I really want to keep this a secret from them?

"Never mind!" I huffed, getting out of the car and slamming the door behind me. The issue would have to wait for now. In a way, I was like a grenade. As long as I was left alone, and no one did anything to mess with me, I could stay calm throughout the day and figure out what I would do about it later. But when provoked I would explode, and that was found out the hard way when Gabriella pulled me aside with a worried look on her face almost the instant we stepped into homeroom right before the bell rang.

"You're not extremely mad at me, are you?" she asked in that self-piteous tone of hers.

"Yes, I am," I said, glaring at her as I tried to turn away. I was trying my best to not blow up at her. If she had left me alone, we would have been fine. But instead she caught my arm and turned me back to her, still concerned.

"Sharpay, I'm sorry. How… how did you find out?" She didn't even need to mention what it was she was sorry about, or what I had found out. We both knew.

"I went to my father's apartment and did a little detective work," I snapped and tried once more to move on to my seat. But, once more, she pulled me back. "What do you want?!" I demanded, my voice growing increasingly louder.

"I want to know why you're so mad at me," she said innocently. "Listen, none of this was my fault-"

"Yes it was!" I barked, stepping closer to her. She backed away as I approached, tripping and stumbling over a knight's helmet prop on the ground. I grabbed the collar of her jacket, breaking her fall but at the same time pulling her furiously up to my height, even if we were of equal size. "You knew the entire time, didn't you?"

"Sharpay-"

"DIDN'T YOU?!" I screamed, beginning to feel makeup was unnecessary when angry tears began to run down my face. "YOU KNEW YOUR MOM WAS DATING OUR DAD AND YOU LET MINE AND RYAN'S LIVES GET RUINED FOR YOUR OWN SELFISH PURPOSES!" She shook her head fearfully, unsure of what my rage would bring. I myself didn't know what it would bring. _'Whatever it is, there's no way it could be as bad as them… Wait, I meant him. My father. Ryan didn't do anything…'_

"I… I didn't know…" Gabriella was saying quietly as these thoughts ran through my head. I growled, slapping her across the face with all my resentment, harder even than I had slapped my father the last time I had seen him in person. She cried out softly upon contact, immediately bringing her hand up to her face and closing her eyes tightly from the sting.

"Shar!" I heard Ryan's voice yell behind me, gripping my shoulder firmly and pulling me away from the brunette. She almost instantly began to collapse, and my brother took it upon himself to automatically run to her and hold her in his arms. I almost didn't feel the next wave of tears pour out of my eyes like waterfalls.

"You hypocritical jerk!" I yelled, causing him to look over to me with a hurt expression. "You don't even care about me! This is exactly like what happened at the party, only this time the roles are reversed and I'm not fucking drunk like you were!"

"Shar-"

"No! Don't talk to me, Ryan! I hate you!" The crestfallen look on his face was more than I could handle, and so I stormed past Ms. Darbus, who was just entering the room, and out into the halls of the school. I didn't know where I was going, but I didn't care. I had to get control of myself. Even a fight as short as what I had just experienced was more than I could deal with. I needed something, someone to help me through this. But, unlike the other times in my life, there was no comfort when I needed it most. Ryan had a girlfriend, and apparently the promises he had made to me meant nothing to him. _I_ meant nothing to him if she was around. From the instant they had started dating she had been the most important thing to him, and I had been cast aside.

Or had I? Maybe I wasn't the most important thing to my brother anymore, but I had never been alone. When my father hurt me and tried to take me away, Troy had come to the rescue. When Ryan had gotten himself drunk at Taylor's party, Troy was waiting right downstairs to help had I not been able to get away. When my parents had first announced their divorce and this whole mess had begun, Troy was the one who had been there for me.

"Sharpay." And he was there for me now, standing mere feet behind me although I faced away from him. He stepped closer; I soon felt his strong arms around my waist, saying no more yet protecting me from everything I was afraid of. How was it that he knew exactly what to do, exactly what to say, or in this case to not say, to make things right?

I turned in his arms, coming literally face to face with the guy I had come to love. Somehow I had stopped crying, and all I cared about was the boy in front of me. There was no Ryan, no Gabriella, no father of mine. It was just me and him, standing alone in an empty corridor. I gave a small smile, as did he, and it was only right when he cupped my cheek in his hand and pulled me toward him, our lips meeting seconds later. It was a soft, gentle kiss, filled with the affection for him to let me know that he would be there for me anytime I needed it. No matter what the circumstances, he would make sure nothing bad ever happened to me.

And that used to be Ryan's job.

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**Ryan's POV**

'_Don't talk to me Ryan! I hate you!'_

Her actions toward my girlfriend had hurt me; her harsh words had driven a stake through my heart. She had never said she hated me or anything similar to it before in our lives. I was speechless, then, as she sobbed and dashed out of the room, pushing her way past the entering Ms. Darbus.

"Class, settle down!" she roared over the noise of the tumultuous students, who had become worked up from the previous argument. The room quieted down somewhat, but the scattered murmurs and whispers were still present. "Now what is going on here?!" the woman demanded, looking angrily about the students. Her eyes landed on one equally angry student, who had risen from his seat and was making his way toward the door.

"Mr. Bolton! Return to your seat!" she commanded. Troy seemed to not hear her, for he neither stopped nor hesitated on his steadfast route. "Mr. Bolton!" He paused this time, nearly in the hallway, and looked back to her irritably.

"What?" he asked impatiently.

"Return to your seat immediately or report to the theater this afternoon for detention!" she yelled, pointing at his desk. He shook his head.

"Ms. Darbus, with all due respect, I will not return to my seat," he said, considerably calmer. "Sharpay is out there right now, alone and thinking that no one cares about her. Maybe no one else does-" He glared at me as he said this. "-but I do, and she needs to know that someone's there for her. So I guess I'll see you in detention." He turned immediately upon finishing his final statement and stormed out into the hall, this time leaving the room silent.

"May I go to the nurse?" Gabriella asked shakily from where she still stood limply in my arms after she realized the class had soon focused their attention on the two of us. Ms. Darbus sighed exasperatedly and turned to her desk, waving us away. We took that as a sign of her permission.

"Gabi, hold on a second," I said once we were out in the hall and on our way to the nurse. She looked at me sadly, obviously knowing in her mind why I had stopped her.

"I'm sorry, Ryan," she said softly. "I swear I just found out about our parents yesterday-"

"No, it's okay. I'm not blaming you for any of this," I assured her, putting my hands on her shoulders. "If anything, I should be thanking your mother. If my parents hadn't split up, you wouldn't have broken up with Troy and we never would have had the relationship we have now."

"Well aren't you the optimist?" Gabriella said, smiling softly. "I guess that's the best way to look at it. But I'm just… I'm worried, Ryan. After all the horrible things your father's done to you, I'm concerned for my mom. I mean, what if he does something to hurt her-?"

"Didn't you tell her about him?" I asked, interrupting her troubled thoughts. She shook her head.

"I told her she should break up with him, but I didn't say why. I couldn't tell her that the man she loves beats his children; I mean, you told me not to tell anyone about him…" I sighed.

"Listen, Gabi," I said, looking into her eyes seriously. "Forget what I said. When you get home today… no, don't even wait that long. I want you to call your mom right now and tell her the truth about my father. She's not the only one in danger if she dates him. He could hurt you just as easily as he could hurt her, and I can't let you risk staying in that kind of danger." She bit her lip hesitantly, but got out her phone and dialed in her mother's number anyway.

"Mom? ...I think I can tell you why you shouldn't date Michael…"

-----------

Somehow, I managed to avoid both Sharpay and Troy throughout the whole school day. The only time I was forced to interact with either of them was after school, when Troy told me he had basketball practice and that my sister would be staying late with him. They would ride home with Coach Bolton, he said, so I should go ahead and leave. His opinion of me was obviously very low, for he acted bitterly throughout our short conversation and continued to glare at me even as he went off toward the gym.

Consequently, Gabriella and I arrived at her house alone ten minutes later. After informing her mother of the true persona of Michael Evans, Ms. Montez had sworn to her daughter that she would break up with my father at the first chance she could that afternoon. After receiving this news, my girlfriend had grown considerably more cheerful, and she was now as perky as could be. After exiting from my car, I walked her up to her doorstep and pulled her into my arms. She giggled, reaching up and pecking my lips coyly.

"Thanks for driving me home," she said softly. "And for helping me out earlier at school."

"Anytime for you," I affirmed, kissing her forehead lightly. "I'll call you when I get home, okay?"

She nodded, smiling. "I'll be waiting. I love you."

"I love you, too." She hugged me tightly before turning and, quickly locating her keys inside her purse, unlocking and opening the door. She smiled at me one more time before going inside and shutting the door. I sighed then, going down the steps and starting back to my car. I knew I'd have to talk to Shar tonight, one on one, and straighten things out with her. If necessary, I could tell her something similar to what I'd told Gabriella: that if it weren't for Ms. Montez, she wouldn't be dating Troy Bolton right now. She was my sister; she knew she couldn't stay mad at me for too long-

Halfway to the driveway, my thoughts were interrupted by a scream from inside the house. Confused, I stopped walking and listened. Not even a second had passed before I heard another sound that made my blood run cold. It was a gunshot. And moments later, a window not too far from where I was standing shattered as a figure crashed through. The person landed on the ground, but immediately picked himself up. He looked as if he was about to run off, but then he noticed me and he grinned maliciously.

"What are you doin' just standing there?" my father asked, evil glinting in his eyes. "Didn't you hear the gunshot? Your girlfriend and her mother are in the kitchen right now, you know. And one of them is dead."

**Sodagirl Says**: Dun dun dun! There's a cliffhanger for you all. I was originally going to cut this off further back into the chapter and put the rest in the next chapter, but then my friend was being mean not really so I told her I was going to put a cliffhanger in. So, yeah, you can review now and let me know what you thought. Hopefully it wasn't too rushed. I'm really sorry for taking so long to update; I had writer's block for a really long time. :( Hopefully the next chapter will be up a lot faster.

Oh, and in case you haven't checked my profile, I put up part 2 of _Wishing You Well_ as well today, which I really should have done like a month ago. Also, sometime either this week or next I'm putting up the first chapter of a new story I thought up, so look for that too. Okay, _now_ you can review. Thanks for reading! ;D


	17. Just Like Him

**Flame of my Heart  
**by hotsodagirl

**Summary**: A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre**: Romance/Drama

**Rating**: T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says**: Hey everyone! I want to start my author's notes off with a huge ginormous THANK YOU to everyone who has _ever_ reviewed my story! With that last chapter, my story hit 300 reviews, which is amazing. When I first started writing this story I thought,'_Maybe_ I'll get 100 reviews.' When I was closing in on 100, I thought, 'Okay, that'd be cool if I got 200 reviews, but I don't expect to pass that.' But I never, _never_, expected to get 300 reviews. It's incredible. _You all_ are incredible. Rarely have I felt this loved in the past, so thank you _so_ much!

So anyway, I actually got this chapter posted on time. I actually took out some of my valuable talking time during school yesterday to sit and write the last part of this on paper. Yes, I actually wrote on paper with a pen, just like I used to before I used my laptop. Okay, so I used a pencil back then, but same difference! I really wanted to get this out to you all ASAP because I didn't want to leave you in suspense for _too _long, so here it is! It's the second longest chapter as of right now, by the way. :D Enjoy!

_Special thanks to charmarctravis_ _for giving me the idea to make something bad happen to Sharpay, because otherwise this chapter wouldn't be half as good!_

**Chapter Seventeen: Just Like Him**

"So, do you think I was wrong? And don't lie."

"Well truthfully, yes I do, but to an extent. You had a right to be angry, but you _did_ overreact when it wasn't really all that necessary."

Sharpay sighed, tapping the lead of her pencil lightly against the sheet of paper she was using to work her homework out on. She had spent the last half hour sitting in the bleachers of the gym, talking out her problems to Taylor while both girls worked concurrently on their studies. As it turned out, Taylor was a very good therapist. Her empathetic listening skills were incomparable, and if asked she would give her opinion no matter how brutally honest it might have been. Despite the fact that the two had never really talked much before, Sharpay found herself opening up to the girl rather easily.

"What do you think I should do, then?" the blonde asked, looking away from her work and to the face of her new friend. Taylor paused from her work as well, thinking for a moment, and then looked knowingly at the other girl.

"Call him," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing. "Call him up right now and apologize. Tell him everything you've been telling me since we've been in here and listen to his side of the story." Sharpay frowned, not pleased with the answer she had been given. She knew it was the right thing to do, but she didn't know if she could bring herself to do it.

"I don't know if I can," she said, closing her binder and leaning against it using her elbows for support. "I feel bad about all this, but I still can't help but feel angry at him. He promised he'd always protect me-"

"And did you need protecting?" Taylor interrupted. Sharpay tilted her head, looking at her with puzzlement. "Sharpay, you weren't in any danger. Think about it: Gabriella was trying to be nice and patch things over with you, you screamed at her, and then hit her. Who was the one that really needed protecting?"

Sharpay shook her head. "Maybe it seems like I'm the villain in that situation, but Ryan should have been able to see how miserable and angry I was. Our twin telepathy should have told him that I was feeling horribly and he should have come to comfort me. But did he?"

"Did he?" Taylor echoed. Sharpay had been ready to launch into a rant, one in which she would be fuming over her brother's faulty priority line, but something about the girl's question made her stop and think. _'Did he? Did he understand in his heart that I was a wreck and that I needed his help? Did he ever try to give me that help and comfort me?'_ She groaned from the answer that came from her thoughts and buried her face in her hands.

"He did come and try to comfort me," she admitted dejectedly. "This morning, he… he came and he wanted me to tell him what was wrong. He tried to make me feel better. He _was_ worried about me and he tried to fix everything for me." She looked up from her hands, staring out into the distance dismally. "I really messed up, didn't I?"

Taylor nodded. "So call him. It's the only way to undo the damage you've already done."

Sharpay pulled her phone from her purse, biting her lower lip nervously as she stared at the screen. She was silent for a moment before she threw out another excuse. "But what if he hates me? What if I seem pushy by calling him? What if he doesn't want to talk to me ever again?" She had barely spoken her last question when her phone suddenly began to ring, the screen lighting up. It was Ryan.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure talking to you is the last thing he wants to do," Taylor said sarcastically. Sharpay shook her head.

"I can't do it. I can't talk to him." She put her phone back in her purse and gathered together her things, standing and walking toward the stairs. Taylor quickly stuffed her notebook in her backpack, picked up her own stuff, and went after the blonde, an incredulous look on her face.

"Sharpay, where are you going?" she asked, following the girl down as they passed all the empty bleachers and eventually stepped onto the basketball court.

"I'm going to put my stuff out in Troy's dad's car," she said, not even daring to look back to her friend.

"Well what about Ryan?"

"What about him?"

"Aren't you going to call him back?"

Sharpay huffed, shaking her head. "Not now. I just can't do it, okay? I'll talk to him later when we get home. I just need time to think."

"Well how much time do you need?" Taylor asked. "You haven't so much as looked his way since you left homeroom this morning. You need to patch things up with your brother before it's too late." The blonde frowned, and then rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I'll call him after I put my bags away. You had might as well put your stuff away, too, so let's get going. Hey, Coach!" she yelled, strolling boldly out into center court. Coach Bolton blew his whistle, signaling a time-out for the basketball players.

"Can I help you, Miss Evans?" he asked, giving her an impatient look for interrupting his practice.

"I need to put some stuff in your car." She held her hand out at once, and was only given the keys because of the coach's readiness to return to his practice. She smiled perkily, moving on to her next target. "CHAD!"

"What?" he yelled from the other side of the court.

"Taylor needs to put her stuff in your car!" she yelled back loudly. "Where are your keys?"

"They're on the end of the bleachers somewhere!"

"OKAY Thank you!" She turned then and walked off the court. Quickly spotting Chad's keys next to his cell phone where he, like the other basketball players, had left them on the bleachers, she took them and walked with Taylor out to the parking lot. They went to Chad's car first, since it was nearer to the gym, put Taylor's backpack in the trunk, and then began to walk toward Coach Bolton's car. They never arrived, however, for they were about halfway down the parking lot when they heard the sound of tires squealing as a car turned the street corner sharply. It approached the girls rapidly, speeding much too fast for the twenty miles per hour speed limit, and time seemed to slow down for Sharpay as it did so.

She saw the face of the mad driver before anything else; the demented sneer and the icy blue eyes of the man she knew as her father. She noticed an object in his hand as he drew closer down the road, but didn't realize what it was until she heard the loud popping noises. Everything instantly clicked in her mind as to what was happening when the noises didn't stop. It was the sound of gunshot. Her father was shooting wildly at her, desperate to get a bullet inside of her. He wanted to hurt her. Her eyes widened and she quickly shoved Taylor behind the nearest car, diving to the ground after her. She shut her eyes, lying as still as possible, and began to count.

_1… 2… 3…_ She heard Taylor gasp and say her name worriedly. "Sharpay…" _4… 5… 6…_ The gunshot continued; she heard and felt the glass of the car window shatter and rain over her. _7… 8…_ The shooting began to slow as the sound of the tires on her father's car began to squeal as his vehicle sped up. _9… 10._ Making its final squeal, her father's car revved up and sped off into the distance as the man seemed to care no more about his victim. The blonde let out a long sigh, grateful that he was gone, and opened her eyes. Taylor hovered over her uneasily.

"Oh my gosh, Sharpay… Are you alright? Does it hurt?" she asked, staring with concern at the girl's body. Sharpay followed her gaze, wincing and quickly looking away when she saw that multiple parts of her body were covered in blood. Her head began to spin, and only then did she feel the pain of the wounds her father had made that she previously had not noticed. The crimson stains on her clothes were a good indication of where she had been shot, including one of her legs, possibly both of her arms, and the side of her stomach. She clenched her teeth together tightly, the pain becoming more severe, and let out an anguished cry.

"Go… Go get Troy!" she managed to yell out, squeezing her eyes shut once more as she tried to block out the pain. Taylor nodded, leaping up from the ground.

"I'll be right back," she assured the blonde, dashing back toward the gym. Sharpay breath came sharply as she lied helplessly upon the dark pavement, and her mind immediately turned to one person – the person she truly felt the need for to be by her side throughout this agonizing incident.

_Ryan…_

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**A Bit Earlier…**

"_What are you doin' just standing there?" Michael Evans asked, evil glinting in his eyes. "Didn't you hear the gunshot? Your girlfriend and her mother are in the kitchen right now, you know. And one of them is dead."_

The seemingly insane man laughed, patting the shoulder of his son who appeared to be frozen in place. "Thanks to your superior advice, Maria decided to try to break up with me, and that girl of yours walked in just as I was about to pull the trigger on the damned woman. Poor thing tried to get in the way." Ryan looked into his father's eyes, his face drained of any color. The man just laughed again.

"This is it then, son. I've got one more thing to take care of, and then I'll be off. I'm sure we'll see each other again sometime," he said darkly, giving a wave before taking off through the yard and down the street to where he had parked his car a few houses down. He sped off around the corner and down another road, pulling another gun out from under his chair almost ten minutes later when he was a just block away from East High School. His timing was lucky on his part; he could see his daughter out in the lot from a ways down the road. He rolled the window down, supporting his arm against the frame of the car as he prepared to shoot.

But Ryan witnessed none of this. Once his father was out of his sight, he suddenly regained control of his senses and tried to comprehend the situation at hand. So many things ran through his head, but one thing rang out clear. Either Gabriella or her mother – or maybe, he thought with horror, _both_ – was dead. He looked around frantically for a moment and, seeing the shattered window first as a way inside the house, jumped through, ripping the sleeves of his shirt and cutting his skin as he did so. He didn't seem to notice; if he did he surely didn't care. Gabriella's safety was the only thing on his mind, and as he ran into the kitchen he was able to rest his mind ever so slightly as he took in the scene before him. Both women were collapsed on the floor, but only Maria Montez had a pool of red liquid surrounding her.

Almost afraid to approach the murdered woman, Ryan went to his girlfriend first, kneeling next to her and holding her thin wrist in his hand. Just to be sure, he felt for her pulse, and was relieved to find that, while it was faint, it was there. Gabriella was definitely alive. He gave a thankful sigh, and as a sudden weakness came over him he realized how scared he had been that she might have been dead. Smiling weakly, he kissed her hand gently before letting her arm fall back to the floor. Not yet finding the strength to stand, he sat next to her, glancing warily to her mother, and pulled out his cell phone. While he knew he should have called 911 first, he instead his _2_ and _TALK_, using the speed dial to call his sister. He had hoped she would pick up, but wasn't at all surprised when he heard her voicemail answer him instead.

"_Hey, you've reached the cell phone of East High's best and prettiest Drama Queen, Sharpay Evans. If you're listening to this, I'm probably either with my boyfriend, practicing for a theater performance, or just ignoring you. So leave your name and message after the beep and I'll decide if you're important enough to talk to me. Toodles!"_ BEEP.

Ryan sighed, silent for a moment as he thought of what he wanted to say before he began to speak. "Hey, it's me. Listen, I know you don't want to talk to me, but I really need you to call me back. Shar, Dad attacked Gabriella's mother. He killed her…" He had to pause here, taking a moment to compose himself. "…And I think Gabi passed out from the shock of witnessing it. So… please, Shar, just call me back when you listen to this. I know you're mad at me and I can understand why you were so mad at Gabi this morning, but… I really just wish you had talked to me about this. I hate it when we fight like this. I'm not sure if you can tell or not, but it tears me apart when you're mad at me. Gabriella means a lot to me, but I care about you more than anything else and I _really_ hope you can forgive me for not checking up on you. I'm sorry, and I need you so much right now. Call me, okay? I love you, Shar." He closed his phone and put his hands up to his head, sighing deeply for the third time in a matter of minutes. He was so tired of dealing with everything, all the stressful problems that had been thrown at him in the past week and a half. But there was nothing he could do about it. The stress wasn't over yet. He opened his phone once more, dialed in 911, and waited for an emergency official to pick up.

The main question in his mind, however, was,_ 'What in the world is going to happen next?'_

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"_Hey, you've reached the cell phone of East High's best and prettiest Drama Queen, Sharpay Evans. If you're listening to this, I'm probably either with my boyfriend, practicing for a theater performance, or just ignoring you. So leave your name and message after the beep and I'll decide if you're important enough to talk to me. Toodles!"_ BEEP.

Ryan hung up his phone, cursing under his breath as he tried to call his sister's cell phone for the twentieth time. No matter how mad she was, he knew she would never ignore this many calls from him unless something was seriously wrong. What worried him most was that he was 99.9 percent sure the last part was true. Shortly after he had called 911, his twin intuition told him that something bad had happened. Ever since he had gotten that horrible feeling, he had continuously called Sharpay's phone, receiving no answer each time. But he wouldn't give up until he knew she was okay.

"_Hey, you've reached the cell phone of East High's best and prettiest Drama Queen, Sharpay Evans. If you're listening to this, I'm probably either with my boyfriend, practicing for a theater performance, or just ignoring you. So leave your name and message after the beep and I'll decide if you're important enough to talk to me. Toodles!"_ BEEP.

"Come on, Shar, answer your phone," he muttered as he hung up again, redialing and listening to the multiple rings he had grown used to. He stood now outside Gabriella's hospital room that they had given her until she woke up. Although no one had said anything to him yet, he knew that soon the issue would be brought up about where Gabriella would live now that both of her parents were dead. He had overheard a doctor and a nurse discussing it earlier; the doctor had told the nurse to do a check on any nearby relatives that Gabriella could go to live with. All of this worried him because he knew that her closest relative was an aunt whom she hated, and who also happened to live in Colorado. Her family was one of the things she had talked to him about during those few days they had talked before they had started dating. Her entire family lived in California except for her aunt and her mother. Her mother had become very successful with her job and traveled around the country before seeing the impact it was having on her daughter and settling in New Mexico; her aunt was a prissy, old-fashioned woman who had never been married, hated kids, and only moved to Colorado because it was the first place she thought of when she wanted to get away from California. Colorado. It was a whole state away. He couldn't let Gabriella be taken away from him.

"_Hey, you've reached the cell phone of East High's best and prettiest Drama Queen, Sharpay Evans. If you're listening to this, I'm probably either with my boyfriend, practicing for a theater performance, or just ignoring you. So leave your name and message after the beep and I'll decide if you're important enough to talk to me. Toodles!"_ BEEP.

Ryan groaned, tempted to throw his phone at the wall in frustration. He looked through the door's glass window into Gabriella's room. She was still unconscious as far as he could tell. He sighed, not even able to imagine what she would have to go through once she woke up. Both her parents were dead, and she was an only child living in middle class. Ryan knew that at least if his mother died and his father never showed up again, he would still have his sister and they could still survive on their own through the fortune their parents would have left them. Gabriella had neither siblings nor money. What other choice would she have but to go live with her aunt in Colorado? _'But I don't think I can live without her in my life,'_ the boy thought, dialing in his sister's number once more. One ring. Two rings. Then, something else.

"Hello?" It was a male voice, a voice that Ryan could only assume to be his sister's boyfriend.  
"Troy?" he asked, just to confirm his assumptions.

"Yeah, it's me." In the background, he heard a tortured cry from a female voice that he immediately recognized to be none other than Sharpay's.

"What's wrong with Sharpay?" he asked anxiously, preparing himself for the worst. He knew the next words that would come out of Troy's mouth would not be uplifting ones, especially when the basketball boy had to hesitate before answering the question.

"She's been hurt really badly. Your father drove by the school while she was putting her stuff away in my dad's car and he shot at her." Ryan's mouth fell open while Troy continued speaking. "She's bleeding in a few different places, but I'm not sure exactly where all she's been shot. Sharpay just told me to answer her phone and talk to you because she didn't want you to worry. We're in the ambulance right now and about to be at the emergency wing of the hospital."

Ryan nodded. "Then I'll see you guys soon, then. I'm at the hospital right now myself. I'm guessing that Shar didn't hear my voicemail yet?"

"No; I saw it was on here but I was going to let her listen to it later when she was in less pain. Did you need her to listen to it?" Troy asked.

"She doesn't need to; it just kind of clarifies why I'm at the hospital."

"Oh, okay. So why _are_ you at the hospital?"

Ryan hesitated. "There was an incident at Gabriella's house. Let's just say that Sharpay's not the first person my father shot this afternoon." The other end of the line was silent for a moment, a worried silence.

"What happened? Did he shoot Gabriella? Is she okay? Where is she?" After his momentary pause, Troy had many questions to ask. Ryan sighed.

"No, don't worry. Gabi's not the one he shot. She just passed out from seeing _Mrs._ Montez get shot," he explained.

"Oh… So how is Gabriella's mom doing then?"

"She's… Well, she's in no pain whatsoever," Ryan said, hoping Troy would know what he meant.

"That's good," he said, obviously not understanding the true meaning of what the other had said.

"No, Troy, that's not good. She's not in any pain because she's dead! My father killed her and since she's dead she has no feelings; do you get it now?!" he yelled, slamming his fist against the wall. He was already stressed out enough; he didn't want to have to deal with this stupidity. Troy began to talk again, but Ryan didn't hear these words as another sound caught his attention. It was an ambulance siren from the end of the hall, as Gabriella had been placed on the first floor. He hung up the phone, glancing inside his girlfriend's room one last time to make sure she was still asleep before rushing to the front lobby, where through the glass doors he could see his sister being loaded off the ambulance on a stretcher. She held tightly to Troy's hand as the paramedics wheeled her inside.

"Shar!" he called. She managed to lift her head up enough to see him, and she smiled thankfully.

"Ryan!" she said, grateful that he was here. He hurried over to her, standing next to her on the side opposite of Troy and taking her free hand in his. She winced as he did so, since that was one of the arms that had surely been shot, but still gripped his hand securely. "Ryan, you're not going to leave me, are you?" she asked urgently, and he could tell that even speaking for that short amount of time had been a struggle for her. He shook his head.

"Of course not. I promised I'd never leave you and always protect you, didn't I?" he said reassuringly. Sharpay gave off a smile as strongly as she could, which in reality came off very faint, but it was meant to show her appreciation toward him. As the doctors prepared to wheel the girl to an operating room where they could remove the bullets from her body, one of the men stopped the procession for a moment to pull Troy to the side, motioning for the rest to move along. The shaggy haired boy gave the man a questioning look as to why he had been stopped.

"We only permit one person at a time to stay with a hospital patient while going through any type of surgery-related procedure, and that person must be a blood relative preferably of the patient's immediate family," the man explained, knowing that he would have been asked for a clarification had he not given it. Troy nodded reluctantly in response, understanding the hospital's reasoning but wanting to be by his girlfriend's side all the same. He thought for a moment, the remembrance of Gabriella coming to mind, and his eyes lit up as his brain hatched an idea.

"Would it be possible, then, for me to visit another patient who I think is only resting right now?" he asked, looking hopefully at the doctor. The man seemed to contemplate upon the question before asking one of his own.

"Who's the patient?"

"Gabriella Montez," Troy answered promptly. "I'm pretty sure she was checked in not too long ago. Her mother was just killed and I heard that she passed out." The man nodded, walking behind the front desk and typing her name into the computer. He nodded again when her information came up and quickly went about gathering some papers which he attached to a clipboard and handed to Troy.

"She's in room 114," he said, pointing down the hall to where her room was. "Fill in those papers while you're down there for the blonde girl that just came in with you and bring them back when you're done." Troy smiled gratefully, nodding once in parting, and walked briskly to the room containing Gabriella. He peeked through the glass window first, checking to see if she was awake or not, and was silent as he opened the door and stepped into the room, not wanting to disturb the still-unconscious girl.

He pulled a nearby chair over to the side of the hospital bed, sitting next to her and staring into her emotionless face. By pure instinct, he reached out and gently moved a stray piece of hair out of her face and behind her ear, a motion that caused her to stir slightly. Taking one of her hands, he leaned closer to her and softly spoke her name. "Gabriella." She stirred again, and at the squeeze of Troy's hand her eyes fluttered open. She looked into his face, puzzlement obvious throughout her features.

"Troy?" she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper. "What are you doing here?" She glanced around the room, further perplexity dripping into her expression. "What am _I_ doing here? Where are we?" Troy tried his best to smile reassuringly at the girl, but found the movement to be harder than he thought.

"We're at the hospital," he answered with a voice as soothing as possible. He didn't want to upset her, but the fact that she would soon be in a state of distress was inevitable. "I heard you passed out. Do you remember what happened after you left school today and before you woke up here?" Gabriella stared off into the distance, racking her brain to remember. Her mind had set up a protective barrier around itself, blocking out the awful memory of what she had seen before her very eyes, but somehow she was able to slowly break past that barrier and she nodded as she started to remember.

"Ryan took me home," she recalled, her eyes fixated on a spot on the wall as if her memories were playing out on a projected screen. "After we said goodbye, I went inside and went into the kitchen. I saw my mom and Ryan's dad…" Her eyes widened in horror as the truth finally hit her, and her eyes filled with tears. "Oh my gosh…" she whispered, her body beginning to shake from the realization of her mother's death. Troy cringed, hating to see her cry, and did the only thing imaginable that he thought could calm her in the least. He moved, transferring himself from the chair to sitting next to the girl on the hospital bed, and wrapped his arms around her. To him, it felt awkward at first to be hugging the girl who had broken up with him and whose heart he had broken only a week before. _'How time lingers on,'_ he thought at the comprehension of how slowly the past week had gone by.

Even so, the uneasiness of the situation was overcome by the fact that Gabriella was a friend in need and that it would not be right to deny her the comfort she deserved. And so he allowed her to weep openly into his shirt until she had no more tears to cry. He was more than willing to stay with her, not only because she was a friend, but because he had some important issues he wanted to talk to her about that he was sure would change things around for the greater good of the ones he cared about.

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A few hours later, Sharpay's operation had finished and she was on her way to recovery. Earlier in the evening Troy's family and Claire Evans (Ryan and Sharpay's mom) had come to the hospital to make sure both girls were okay. Seeing that they would be okay, the entire Bolton family, including Troy, headed home and Claire went to work some things out at the high, prestigious company in which she was the head of. That left Ryan, who at this moment was stepping out of the elevator to the ground floor and down the hall to the room Gabriella was staying in. The door was already open when he reached it, and as he poked his head inside he found the Hispanic girl sitting at the head of her hospital bed, leaning over the homework she was struggling to finish so late in the evening with much on her mind. He tapped lightly against the frame of the door, smiling brightly at the girl when she looked up at him blankly.

"Hey," he said optimistically. Gabriella didn't respond. "So, I was just on my way out to go home and I thought I'd check in on you. I'm glad to see you woke up." He walked over to her bedside, placing one hand over hers and using the other to support her chin and pull her into a kiss. She took him by surprise, however, when she refused to kiss him back, instead pushing his body away from her. She did not smile, and she had not smiled since her boyfriend had walked into the room. Her brown eyes only stared coldly into his blue ones, showing no positive emotions in any degree.

"Ryan, in case you haven't realized it yet, I watched my mother get murdered this afternoon. You could at least pretend to not be so cheerful for my sake," she said, folding her arms over her torso. The blonde boy's smile faded, his face changing into an expression of confusion and regret.

"I'm sorry…" he started, but was cut off by his girlfriend's icy glare. He was taken aback; he hadn't even known she was capable of looking at a person with such hatred.

"No, you're not sorry," she snapped, not once breaking contact from his eyes. "If you had felt absolutely any sympathy for me whatsoever you would have been the one at my side when I woke up earlier, not Troy. You wouldn't have waited to come see me until you were on your way out the door!"

"Gabi, that wasn't my fault," he reasoned, feeling his frustrations beginning to rise. "Sharpay was shot _multiple_ times; I had to be with her to make sure she would be okay!" Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I see," she said sarcastically. "But you're leaving now, aren't you? That means that Sharpay's fine now, right? Meanwhile I'm the one who's an emotional wreck over here because I've now lost both my parents and I'm left with the feeling that no one even cares!" Ryan shook his head, turning away from her. He touched his fingers to his forehead, letting out a small chuckle that came from the stupidity of the situation rather than any form of nonexistent humor.

"I don't believe this," he muttered, looking back to the girl. "Do you not understand that I don't like being the rope in this game of Tug of War? I've got my sister on one side, crying and thinking that I care about you more than I care about her, and then I turn around and find you on the other side saying that I care about her more than I care about you! I'm just one person; what do you want me to do?!"

"Make a choice," she stated seriously, continuing on speaking when she saw his silence. "You're right; you're just one person. Obviously all Sharpay and I both want is your full, undivided attention, and you can't give that to either of us without hurting the other one. Ryan, I'm your _girlfriend_."

"I can't choose between you two," he said, returning to her side. "I care about you so much, Gabriella, but Sharpay's my sister-"

"Then maybe this whole thing was a mistake," she said calmly, cutting off not only his sentence, but also any other words he might have spoken next. _A mistake?_ "Ryan, this just isn't working out for us. I think-"

"Don't say it," Ryan said quietly, just barely able to find his voice. He looked deep into Gabriella's eyes, and only then did he notice something change in her cold-hearted display. She broke eye contact with him, only for a second, but long enough to alter her appearance. In her eyes, he saw sadness, but at the same time he saw something more important. Her story, the whole reason she seemed to be angry with him, was only half the problem. There was more to this; something had transformed her mind to think things she hadn't thought before.

"You're lying," he said, knowing from the shocked look on her face that he was right.

"Excuse me?"

"This has nothing to do with who I'm paying more attention to, does it?" he asked. Gabriella was silent, and he knew again that he had hit the nail on the head. "Gabi, why don't we just skip past your made-up reasons and get to the truth of things?" The girl sighed, looking straight into his eyes.

"Your father killed my mother," she said, as if that statement were the most logical reason for anything. Ryan waited before responding, expecting her to speculate or at least give an additional reason, but there was nothing.

"What, that's it?" he asked skeptically. "That's the only reason you want to break up, because my father killed your mother? You don't think we should date anymore because of my _father_? What does he even have to do with all of this? I'm not even anything like him!"

"Are you so sure of that?" Gabriella retorted. Ryan's mouth fell open, and he had to take a few moments to convince himself that she had actually suggested that he might have had any similarity to his father. "Do you really find it that hard to believe?" she asked, almost as if she could read his thoughts. "You're the only one who hasn't seen it yet, Ryan. The only person I can think of who hasn't said something about it aloud is your sister, but I'm sure she's had her suspicions on the inside. Especially after you attacked her at Taylor's party the other night when you were _drunk_." She spat the last word at him, saying it with such distaste that it might as well have been poison.

But with Gabriella's statement came Ryan's turn to glare, his eyes narrowing in fury of her hypocritical account. "When _I_ was drunk?!" he echoed. "I know my mind was a little fuzzy after that night, but weren't _you_ drunk, too? In fact, weren't _you_ the one to bring the damn alcohol in the first place?!"

"Oh, so you're blaming this on _me_ now?!" Gabriella yelled, moving her binder and textbook to the side and standing angrily from the bed. "I had no control over anything I was doing! Why the hell would you even listen to me?"

"Because I wanted to get away from all the problems in my life!" he yelled back. "And you know what? The consequences sucked! Maybe you took nothing away from the experience since you passed out five minutes after I took my first drink, but I learned my lesson. That alcohol was a one-time thing, and I'm never going to do it again!"

"I'm sure that's what your father said the first time he drank and ended up beating you half to death," she said knowingly, her tone much lower now than it had been before. She was so tired of the drama, the fighting, and she knew he was, too.

"I'm not my father," Ryan said insistently, wishing she would understand. She only shook her head.

"You are. I'm just sorry my mother had to die for me to realize how wrong we were for each other. We're over now, Ryan. Don't bother me anymore. You can go home now." She turned back to her bed, gathering together the homework she had thrown to the side. Ryan watched her sadly, hoping things would somehow go back to the way they had been, but knowing in his heart that there was nothing more that he could do. He walked miserably to the door, only looking back when he was standing in the doorframe.

"The way I feel about you hasn't changed, Gabriella," he said, his voice low but still strong enough to where he knew she had heard him even while she pretended she hadn't. "I love you, and I always will." He left her with his final words, his footsteps echoing down the hall as she felt tears come once more to her eyes. She waited until she could hear him no longer to let them fall.

Ryan peeled out of the parking lot in his car, grateful that his mother had driven it over for him so he could stay later and leave when he was ready. At this moment in his life, he was definitely ready. He was ready to leave the hospital, and he was ready to talk to the one person responsible for Gabriella's behavior. He knew there was someone responsible because there was only one person who truly seemed to always have despised him. Maybe it was because that person's girlfriend had always cared for him more. Maybe it was because that person's ex-girlfriend had come to him almost immediately after their breakup. Maybe it was something else, but no matter what it was, Ryan knew one thing for sure.

He was going to kill Troy Bolton.

**Sodagirl Says**: Oh, drama, drama, drama. I just want to let you all know that I feel really bad about breaking up Ryan and Gabriella. I really do. But don't loose faith! I never said this breakup was permanent! But then again… I never said it _wasn't_ permanent either. :P I have to leave you with some sort of suspense. And here are a few more things to think about: What do you think Ryan is going to do to Troy when he gets home? How is Sharpay going to react when she finds out Troy's role in Ryan and Gabriella's breakup? Most importantly, what other problems do you think I'm going to throw at the characters, and how much more do you think they can take? Review now, and I'll be more encouraged to answer these and other impending questions throughout the course of the rest of this story:P Just kidding; I don't like to pressure you all into reviews like that. I'm so excited for everything else that's coming up that I'm going to encourage myself to continue to write either way! But reviews do help ;D Oh, and don't forget to check out my new story _Vindictive_, which I think I'll have up tomorrow (2/7/07). If you think this is drama, you'd be surprised at what worse drama I'm thinking up for that one. So go read that if you love me:P Thanks for reading, and thank you so much again for helping this story reach 300 reviews! You all are so awesome:D

And, if you haven't already, go out and buy Ashley Tisdale's CD right now! I am listening to it right now as I'm typing and it is so good! So go get it:D


	18. Troy and Ryan

**Flame of my Heart  
**by hotsodagirl

**Summary: **A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre:** Romance/Drama

**Rating:** T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says**: Wow, chapter 18 already. I'm starting to feel sad because we're coming closer to the end with each chapter… or are we? ;P No, really, I _do_ have a sequel planned, but only if you all want it! Because if you all don't want to read it then there's really no point in writing it, right? Well, I'd probably write it anyway, but I'd feel more encouraged if you _did_ want to read it :D So yeah, there's definitely going to be a sequel unless all of you review and go 'NO YOU SUCK DON'T WRITE ANOTHER ONE!!!' But I don't think you all are going to do that, and if you do I'll crawl up in my bed and cry :P

So anyway, I may have caused some confusion and/or discomfort-ish feelings with the last chapter, or at least that's what I interpreted from your reviews. I made sure to PM everyone who was concerned for Troy so that you all weren't sitting there for a couple weeks thinking that he was going to get killed. Don't worry; I would NEVER kill off a main character… or would I? _–shifty eyes– _:P I just love being suspenseful like that. Anyway, Troy's not going to die, I promise. As for what he had to do with the break up, well, basically he talked to Gabriella and pretty much convinced her that Ryan was exactly like his father. Although there are some similarities between the two, Gabi really hadn't been thinking that way until Troy pointed it out to her because he was just "concerned for her safety," which is something that I think we'll see some more of in this chapter, and if you're still confused or more confused by the end of the chapter then let me know and I'll try my best to explain it. But that's the basic idea.

Oh, and another thing about reviews. Some of you all offered suggestions on what you had wanted to see or what you wanted to possibly see in this chapter. Well, I considered the ideas and I did try to fit them in here but sometimes things just don't flow right. However, they were really good ideas that I thought I could write well so I decided as I was reading those reviews that there is going to be a **26th **chapter that is going to be chock-full of "deleted scenes." That, or if I get too many ideas I might have to make a separate story to write them all in :P (I have 15 different scenes right now, by the way) I used some of your ideas and I thought up a lot of my own, too, for earlier chapters. So if you ever have a suggestion for something that you want to see happen or that you wanted to see happen, go ahead and mention it in your review! Everything helps, and those ideas might even make it into the actual story! I love hearing what you all think so feel free to speak your mind.

And now we move on to everyone's favorite part – the actual story! This is Chapter 18: Troy and Ryan, and there's definitely going to be some violence in here. Honestly, when you think about it, how could this chapter _not_ have violence? We're dealing with an angry Ryan who wants to kill Troy. There will be violence, and as with other intense/violent scenes, this one will have some language. So be prepared for that. _Now_ you can read. Hope you enjoy it!

**Chapter Eighteen: Troy and Ryan**

**Troy's POV**

I was lying on what used to be my bed in what used to be my bedroom, shooting crumpled-up papers into a wastebasket-turned-basketball hoop as I waited. Something would happen soon; that was a sure fact. I knew Ryan would arrive home soon after my plan had followed through, and he would undoubtedly be outraged and looking for a fight – exactly the way things should be. I smiled, not victoriously like I could have been due to the fact that I hadn't missed a single paper-basket shot, but maliciously as I thought about the brilliance and wickedness of my plot-

_'Wait, plot? Brilliance and wickedness? Smiling maliciously?'_ I shook my head, chuckling to myself. _'Either I'm spending so much time around Sharpay that her personality is rubbing off on me, or the way she's transformed my room has completely messed up my head,'_ I thought, glancing around the room and taking in as many changes as I could before shooting another perfect basket. Indeed, the room had done a huge turnaround since the last time I had slept in it over a week ago. The bedspread I was lying on was pink; my upper body rested against dozens of fuzzy, flower- and heart-shaped pillows. My walls, once covered action shots of basketball legends, were now plastered with posters of musicals. Sharpay had even convinced me to take my computer downstairs and buy her a large mirror, turning my desk into a vanity/dresser set.

If it hadn't been for three indications, it wouldn't have seemed to those who didn't know her that she actually shared this room with her brother, or that she even had a brother for that matter. The first indication was the closet that was now stuffed full with all the clothes the two had bought over the past week, only one half of it belonging to her and the other half to him. The second was the stack of folded sheets and blankets resting in the corner of the room, which could be quickly turned into a makeshift bed on the floor. The third was the one I hated to think about, yet at the same time I found it coming to mind almost constantly. It was a framed photograph that sat on the bedside table, the place where I had once displayed a picture of myself and Gabriella at the first _Twinkle Towne_ showing. Honestly, the latter picture was more appealing to look at than the former.

At these thoughts I turned, taking the picture frame between my fingers and holding it up as I stared on at it. It was a younger snapshot of the twins, probably taken two or three years before. Ryan held her on his back, giving her a piggyback ride, and she was smiling exuberantly. She was laughing, I could tell, and I only wished I could hear her genuine, carefree laugh at that moment in time. It didn't come often, and the joyful look on her face in the photo came even more rarely. In fact, I had never seen her in such high spirits, not even when I tried my hardest to satisfy her. It made me furious that she always made her brother her first priority; that she cared so much about what he thought but would probably dump me if I screwed up even the slightest bit again.

_'Damn you, Ryan,'_ I thought, tossing the frame inside. It cracked as it hit the wall, but I would have been more pleased had I actually noticed it. Instead, I was distracted as the walls shook the instant the picture made contact. I cocked my head, confused as I thought my throwing the frame had somehow shaken the house. _'What the…?'_

"TROY!" I heard an angry voice yell from downstairs. Ryan's voice. It made sense now; it had only been a coincidence that he had arrived home and slammed the front door at the same time I had flung the picture. I smiled maliciously once more, rising from the bed and walking leisurely out of the room and to the top of the stairs. I stopped there, leaning casually against the banister and clearing my throat loudly. He looked up, his eyes glowing with hatred as they met mine. Somehow I couldn't take the smile from my face. His reaction was exactly what I had expected; getting things to go the way I wanted them to was all too easy. No wonder Sharpay seemed to enjoy her evil plans.

"You called?" I asked nonchalantly, as if I had no idea as to why he was so mad. As if I hadn't been the first one to talk to Gabriella after she woke up and been the one to change all her thoughts about her now ex-boyfriend. But we both knew none of the things I was pretending were true. Ryan said nothing in reply; he only began to walk up the stairs. My smile began to fade. He didn't seem as angry as he approached me. This wasn't right; he was supposed to be infuriated.

At the time, I was only thinking of my plan. I didn't at all take into consideration the acting abilities both the Evans twins had been raised on – the abilities to hide any feelings or emotions whatsoever. Not thinking of these things, I made the mistake of waiting. I stood there like a fool until he stood right before me, and only then did I see his true rage that was even larger than I had expected. By that point it was too late, however, and I didn't even get the chance to think before he had grabbed me. He slugged me in the stomach; I doubled over and he took the chance to throw a few punches to my face and kick me to the ground. He picked me up by the upper part of my body and slammed my head against the wall with all his might. My head was spinning, but I clearly heard and felt the wall crumble, forming a head-sized hole through it after few hits. Then I was being pulled up by my shirt collar to his height, and I felt myself hanging limply, gravity wanting my body to fall to the ground.

"You bastard!" he spat in my face, shaking me violently. I detected alcohol on his breath. "Who the hell do you think you are, coming around and fucking with Gabriella's mind? I know it was you who talked her into breaking up with me, so don't even fucking act like it's not!" I spat to the side, crimson shooting out, and I knew in the back of my mind that my mother would kill me when she saw the blood on her carpets. That didn't matter now.

"Yeah, maybe I talked to her," I said, trying to stay as calm and clear-minded as possible. I had a feeling his attack wouldn't stay as short as what had just occurred, but this sudden beating gave a better route to my plan, which I still intended to carry out. Staying calm would surely make him even angrier, and I could still easily win this as long as he didn't hurt me in a life-threatening manner. "What's it matter to you?" It was the wrong thing to say, and I knew it as soon as the anger grew ten times larger in his eyes, if that was even possible.

"What's it matter to me?" he echoed, slamming my back to the wall and punching me directly in the face, this time more forcefully than before. I heard the familiar crack of bone just before I felt the burning pain around where my nose was and tasted the blood as it ran down to my chin, dripping to my previously-clean white t-shirt. "What the fuck do you mean, what does it matter to me? Gabriella meant the world to me and you fucking corrupted her mind!" he yelled. Somehow I managed to muster up an amused smile.

"First of all," I started, spitting to the side again. It seemed that blood was continuously rushing to my mouth. "You're saying the word 'fuck' too much. And second of all, I didn't _corrupt_ her mind. I simply reminded her of your true, violent nature that tends to get the better of you, which is not unlike you're father, might I add." It was, again, the wrong thing to say, but this time I had purposely said the worst thing possible. So what if I knew he would come close to killing me for saying it? It would bring me one step closer to carrying out my plan, and one step closer to protecting the ones I care about. This was most likely the thought that preserved my stamina when I soon found myself falling down the stairs, tumbling over my own body and rolling uncontrollably until I hit the wall at the end of the staircase. Ryan was upon me in a matter of seconds, a flame of fury in his eyes.

"I am _not_ like my father!" he yelled, pinning me to the ground when I tried to stand. Unlike before, however, I now had my strength and I intended to use every ounce of it. I kicked my legs up, placing my feet on his stomach and flipping him up and over my body. He landed with a thud in the entryway of the house, a surprised look on his face. He hadn't expected me to fight back, but he had to have been a fool to think I would sit back and let him beat me into a pulp. Realizing this, he looked over to me with a glare icy enough to match his sister's, and, standing, I smirked confidently, holding up my clenched fists and raising my chin. The world seemed to go into a dead silence for an elongated second as we stood there, staring each other down, each waiting for the other to make the first move. That chance would have been given had the silence not been broken by a small, upset voice from the kitchen.

"Troy? Ryan? What…. What's going on?" I turned to see Candi standing in the doorway, holding a glass of water and looking very confused. A glance told me that Ryan's anger didn't seem to be fazed by her appearance, but I allowed my guard to be let down momentarily as I went to my sister, kneeling to her height and stroking her mass of wavy, tangled brown hair.

"Candi, it's almost ten o'clock. Shouldn't you be in bed by now?" I questioned, briefly avoiding her concerns in an attempt to act as if all was normal and nothing was wrong. She frowned, troubled too much by the thought of getting caught sneaking out of her room past her bedtime to see my evasion.

"I was thirsty and wanted a drink of water, but when I was going to go back upstairs I heard Ryan yelling and I got scared. Are you two having a fight?" she asked, her innocence almost blinding me from the issue at hand. "Troy, you're face looks bad; are you okay?" she continued on, reaching up and touching the side of my broken nose. I winced, but quickly resumed my poker face as to not upset her any more.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Listen, SweetTart, we're not fighting _per se_, we're just having a… discussion," I said in what I hoped to be a convincing voice. "But you're a little too young to understand what's going on right now so I'd appreciate it if you'd go back up to bed and I'll see you in the morning. Would you do that for me?" She nodded, beaming, and gave me a bear hug, kissing me on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Troy, I love you!" she whispered with enough enthusiasm to show her care for me while still trying to keep quiet. I smiled, almost forgetting what had been happening before I heard her in the doorway. _Almost_. I remembered almost as easily as I had forgotten as Candi, oblivious to what was going on, scampered from me to my blonde opponent, hugging him around the waist and smiling up at him. She opened her mouth, ready to tell him goodnight, when the unthinkable happened. Looking down at her, his eyes icy as ever, he grabbed her tiny wrists with a strong grasp and forcefully shoved her away from him. She cried out in frightened shock, falling to the carpeted floor with tears in her eyes. My vengeful thoughts returned in an instant and I recalled exactly why I had thought up this plot in the first place. It was to protect my sister, to protect Gabriella, and to protect Sharpay.

"Candi, go upstairs," I instructed sternly. She only gaped at me, still surprised and baffled at her idol's behavior. "Candi, now!" I yelled, my voice harsh enough to figuratively knock some sense into her. Shakily she stood, turning and running up the stairs as fast as her short legs would allow her. Once I was sure she was in her room, I met Ryan's glare once more, now more than ready for a fight. "That kind of heartless manner could only belong to someone like you; someone like your father," I muttered, saying just the thing to raise his ire.

Letting out a ferocious growl, he ran at me, swinging his fists like mad. I dodged his first three punches and caught both arms on the fourth, twisting them behind him and holding them with one hand only long enough to sock him across his head. Clearly drunk, he stumbled and fell to the floor when I struck him, but quickly recovered himself and stood again with a little help from the stair banister. He came at me again, and just as before I had a strategy. I backed up to the wall, waiting as he came to me until just before he had the chance to hit me. At that moment I ducked, causing his fist to crash through the wall and giving me the chance to move behind him quickly and give him a swift kick to the back of the legs. Again he fell to the ground, but, growing smarter, he pulled me down with him this time, knocking me in the face. He was able to land a few more hits on me as we struggled and rolled around on the floor, but nevertheless unable to match the number I was landing on him.

Still, I could tell through the beatings on both sides that he was growing weary, and I could feel my own strength dwindling as it had been before I had tried to fight back. My mind and reflexes began to slow as well, and perhaps that was why, in a moment of mental sluggishness, Ryan was able to gain the upper hand. Somehow he managed to shove me against the wall and get atop me, pinning me in place as he whipped out a knife from seemingly nowhere and promptly placed it to my neck. I felt the cold metal grazing the surface of my skin, and I knew that almost any movement on my part would ensure my sudden death. A combination of that fact and both our weariness caused a moment of silence once more, no movement or sound aside from our panting that came in ragged, heavy breaths. We stared at each other as we did so, his eyes telling me that he would not hesitate to slit my throat and kill me on the spot if I said or did the wrong thing again. And yet despite that I had knowledge, I cocked my head with certainty and could only hope that the next words out of my mouth would save my life rather than end it.

"Not like your father, you say?" I asked, making sure I didn't break our eye contact. "Then what do you call this, huh? Getting drunk the instant you get a little bit out of your comfort zone and then trying to kill the person responsible? If that doesn't make you exactly like your father then I don't know what does, and I would hate to see what happens next time Sharpay makes you a little bit mad!" I was more than relieved to see that remorseful realization came over Ryan's face rather than the vengeful rage I feared would take my life. The knife fell from his hand to the floor and I knew then that I had made the truth clear, even to his drunken mind. I sighed gratefully, rubbing the small nick in my neck as the blonde backed away slowly, worry showing throughout all of his features.

"Oh God… you're right," he gasped, fear of himself and what he had become flashing in his eyes. "What do I do?" he asked urgently, almost too restless and uneasy to think calmly for himself. I had to struggle to hold back the victorious grin that threatened to break onto my face. My plan had actually worked. I could hardly believe it. Everything had gone over so well, even better than I could have hoped for. Each phase had played out perfectly: talking to Gabriella, turning her against her boyfriend, subtlely and indirectly breaking them up, and then raising Ryan's anger level to an almost murderous level, consequently proving to him his likeness to his father. Now, to make the situation even more enjoyable, he was asking me what I thought he should do. Something in my instincts told me he would more than likely do whatever I suggested, which would ultimately win this battle and eliminate any future conflicts.

"You're a danger, Ryan, to yourself and to everyone around you," I started as I stood, thankful that I had thought this up ahead of time. It gave me the chance to focus on keeping a serious face instead of laughing gleefully at my brilliance in the way I felt the tendency to. "Just a few days ago you hurt your own sister because you got drunk off a little jealousy of me and her being together. Now you're trying to kill me because you were dumped. Honestly, I am now scared to death of leaving you alone with any of the important girls in my life, because I know that if anyone does the smallest thing to tick you off you'll turn violent. The way I see it, there's only one reasonable solution that will benefit everyone, although it _will_ be hard on you. But it would be in the best interests of Gabriella, and of Sharpay." Ryan looked at me expectantly, hanging on my every word. Oh yes, it was definitely going to be way too easy to get rid of him. I let a small smile cross my lips as I spoke my next words, the words that would change everything.

"Get out of here," I said, pointing to the door. "The only way to save yourself and anyone you care about is to pack up your stuff and get the hell out of my house. Furthermore, leave Sharpay and Gabriella alone. Don't come back here. Don't talk to them. Don't even try so much as looking their way at school if you want to protect them. If you interact with them at all you'll only end up hurting them, and you don't want that to happen, do you?" He shook his head and I nodded, jerking my head in the direction of my room. "Exactly. So go ahead and get your stuff. It's better for you to leave now then to wait until Sharpay gets out of the hospital, whenever that will be." He only nodded in agreement and turned, my eyes drilling holes into him as he stumbled, drunken and weary, up the stairs, disappearing into my room. I stayed standing where I was, leaning against a wall of the entryway, until he returned less than ten minutes later, his things crammed into a few bags. He stopped in front of me before he stepped out the door, looking apologetically into my eyes.

"Take good care of Shar for me, will you?" he asked. I nodded, smiling sincerely as I patted him on the shoulder.

"I will. You're doing the right thing, Ryan," I reassured him. He sighed, knowing it was true, and then, saying no more, turned away from me and went out from the house, walking slowly to his car and throwing his stuff in the backseat. I watched as he turned on the ignition before backing out of my driveway and driving off into the distance, the fact that he wasn't driving sober not once coming to mind as a concern. He had done alright getting over here, and he would do fine going off to wherever he would be going to.

Once the headlights had faded out from the street, I smiled with relief. Ryan was gone now, gone from my life and from the lives of the girls I cared about. I had saved them from any possible harm that could have come to them, and I knew that every aspect of our world would now improve. After all, I had gotten rid of their biggest threat. He could have hurt any of them at any time, and now he would never come around to bother them again. I had done the right thing, and they would all be safe from now on...

They would be safe, right?

**Sodagirl Says**: Or is he wrong:P Obviously Troy had just messed things up seriously by getting Ryan to leave the girls alone, but he hasn't quite figured that out yet. He's just slow like that ;)

Anyway, I know I haven't updated in a while and I am very sorry for that. I apologize _profusely_. :D I hope this chapter wasn't like a huge disappointment after you had to wait that long. I thought it was okay; short compared to the last few chapters but it was long enough, I suppose. I know, it's a little weird that I used first person POV and I didn't change the person or the scene at all throughout the chapter, but this just sort of worked. So yeah, please let me know what you all thought about this and all, and don't forget to tell me in your reviews any ideas you might have! It might inspire me ;D

So, what do you have to look forward to? Well, the next chapter is not going to be too dramatic (I don't think, but you never know!) because it's just kind of the aftermath of this fight and Ms. Montez's death and all that stuff that's been going on. After that we are going to get into some more drama, which should be _very,_ very interesting and fun to write :P That's probably going to span a couple chapters, maybe, and then we'll go into some happy, less dramatic stuff with more romance before the big 'finale' and then the sequel! I would love to tell you about the sequel but it's pretty much based entirely on what happens in chapters 20-25 so I can't say much about it yet. But hopefully I can keep you all entertained throughout the rest of this story and through the next. My goal is to finish this before my birthday, and I'm going to feel so lame if I don't because that'll be almost a year since I first published this thing.

Okay so I could go on talking for a lot longer, but I don't want you all to have to sit here and listen to me blab. Oh, but I _do_ have a livejournal now, which you can find on my profile, and I usually write in that every day or two. I talk about my fanfictions so you're more likely to find out when I plan to update there than my profile since I usually forget to update that. :P Okay, you can review now!

Oh, one more thing! I posted the first chapter of my new story _Vindictive_ a few weeks ago and I would LOVE YOU if you'd go check that out for me! ;D I also suggest you go check out some of Ashley's Fool's multiple AU stories that he's fond of putting up recently. They are really great if you love Troypay! Okay I'll stop talking (or rather, typing) now. Love to all!


	19. What Kind Of Love?

**Flame of my Heart  
**by hotsodagirl

**Summary:** A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre:** Romance/Drama

**Rating:** T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says**: Ha ha… um… yeah, I know it's been a long time since I updated. And I mean a _very_ long time. But… well, a lot of stuff has happened since the last time I wrote. So much, in fact, that I can't even begin to describe it on here. I mean, there's been a lot of good times, but a lot of sadness, too. But that's all personal and you all really don't need to worry about it. Susie knows all about my drama. :P

Anywho, I'm going to remind you all before I start this that it _has_ been a while since I last wrote, so if this chapter sucks horribly then please don't get mad at me. :P I guess it's okay, but it's not my favorite chapter. It's gonna be a little short in comparison to the last few chapters, but that's also because this isn't a very drama-ful chapter. Don't worry; I'm working really hard at getting back into my writing and I will definitely be back in full swing for chapters 20-25 (or 26). Bear with me as I'm getting used to FFN again and I will definitely start bringing you more stories and updates and cool stuff like that. ;) So this is chapter 19, What Kind Of Love? _Please_ let me know what you think after you finish reading this chapter. Like, I really need to know how much worse or better or the same I've gotten so that I can improve if I'm doing a bad job. Thanks for reading!

**Chapter Nineteen: What Kind Of Love?**

**Gabriella's POV**

Tuesday morning, the blaring, 'Start of Something New' ringtone woke me from my peaceful slumber, causing me to groan wretchedly. Thoughts of all the events occurring in my life had kept me awake into the late hours of the night and I was not ready to get up. Yet, sensing it was Troy, I knew it was probably about time for me to get out of bed and start getting ready for school. So, sighing, I reached over to the table at the side of my bed and, digging my phone quickly out of my purse, opened it and held it lightly to my ear.

"Hey Troy, what's up?" I mumbled sleepily, rubbing my eyes in the darkness of the room. As he began to talk, I scrunched my nose at the all-too-familiar hospital smell that made me feel almost sick to my stomach. The only thing that made it bearable was the thought of leaving as soon as possible. The workers and doctors here were kind enough to have given me a room to sleep in for the night, but I was sure I wouldn't be able to stand staying another twenty-four hours in this place. My negativity toward my surroundings almost made me excited about the fact that my aunt would be arriving in Albuquerque while I was at school. It was the only thing to be excited about, however, and I frowned the more I thought about it. _Colorado_. I was moving to _Colorado_.I hated to have to move _again_. Although I had only lived in New Mexico a couple of months, I had grown attached to it, to my friends, and to my school. It was home to me now… but I had no choice. I was lucky my aunt was willing to stay in New Mexico long enough for me to finish out this week of school. I would move during Spring Break and then start anew in Colorado…

"Troy, what do you think the schools in Colorado are like?" I asked suddenly, cutting off the other mid-sentence of whatever he was rambling on about. He paused before giving a confused chuckle in reply.

"Well, Gabi, I don't really know. I've never gone to school in Colorado. What makes you so interested all of a sudden?" he questioned. I sighed sadly, knowing that he was clueless. For some reason, I had automatically assumed he had known. Somehow, when we were dating, he almost always knew what was going on with me. Even now, I had expected him to know something, what with living in the same house as my recently-ex-boyfriend. _'Maybe Ryan doesn't even know,'_ I thought, frowning yet again as I leaned against the stiff, scratchy pillow on my bed. "Gabi, are you still there?" Troy asked worriedly. I smiled weakly, although I knew he couldn't see me, and tried to laugh lightly.

"Yeah, I'm here," I said, my voice coming out as a whisper. I hated to have to tell him I was leaving. I hated to have to tell _anyone_ I was leaving. But I had to do it. Taking a deep breath, I attempted to find my voice as I spoke the truth. "I'm not necessarily interested in Colorado, but… I'm moving there. At the end of the week." I bit my lip in the silence that followed. I didn't know what I had wanted him to say; I suppose I shouldn't have expected him to say anything. After all, there wasn't anything that he _could_ say to change the unavoidable truth. Still, I had hoped for something.

"Oh," was all he said, causing me to let out a deep, sorrowful sigh that seemed to escape from nowhere. "Gabi? Are you okay?" I heard from the other end of the line as I stifled a sob.

"I'm fine, Troy," I insisted without the confidence to back it up. Dabbing at the corner of my eyes, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm fine," I repeated.

"Are you sure?" Troy asked.

"I'm _fine_!" I cried with a little too much energy.

"Gabi, please, tell me what's wrong. If you need to talk-"

"No," I cut him off. "I don't need to talk. Not to you, and not to anyone else. Now, if you don't mind, I've got to get ready for school, and I'm hoping you'll have the decency to give me a ride since I no longer have a father or a mother or a boyfriend…" I trailed off into a shaky sob and suddenly felt liquid on my face. It took me a few moments to realize that the liquid was tears from my own eyes. "I'm fine," I insisted before Troy had the chance to say anything else. "Just come get me, okay?"

"Okay, I'll be there in a little bit. Check on Shar for me while you're waiting, would you?" he asked, almost a pleading in his voice. "I've been worried about both of you all night long, and I would call her but I don't want to bother her just in case she's asleep or something… so could you go check on her?" I nodded reflexively.

"Yeah, I'll do that."

"Thanks, Gabi. I'll see you in a few minutes then, okay?"

"Okay," I answered robotically, almost missing the next words, the words that would flip my day around completely.

"I love you."

My eyes widened, and I could only sit with my mouth agape for a moment. A million thoughts ran through my mind at once. _'What? What does he mean… he __loves__ me?! But that's impossible… we broke up… we're just friends… he has a girlfriend! And I have a boyfr- oh wait, no I don't, but that's not the point!'_ On the other end of the line I could hear Troy's voice still. "Gabi? You okay?" I felt my body tremble.

"I have to go," I muttered and promptly shut my phone. I then turned around in my stiff hospital bed and proceeded to bang my head against the wall, voices of the past echoing in my head.

_If there was something I could do to make it so we could be together all the time, I would do it. I would do anything for you…_

_Any guy who would cheat on you is a waste of your time, Gabriella..._

_There aren't many girls like you out there. You're really special…_

_I promise you there will always be a place for you in my heart…_

_I love being your friend, but I want us to be more than that. I want you to be my girlfriend…_

_You knew your mom was dating our dad and you let mine and Ryan's lives get ruined for your own selfish purposes!_

_Don't you see how similar Ryan is to his father?_

_The way I feel about you hasn't changed, Gabriella. I love you, and I always will…_

I sighed, and as if I wasn't already confused enough, the sound of my phone ringing pulled me out of my thoughts. My tear-filled eyes looked down to the phone in my hand, and the name on the caller ID almost pushed me over the limit.

_RYAN._

I couldn't deal with it. Whatever he wanted to tell me, I knew I wouldn't be able to deal with it. I couldn't deal with Ryan. I let the phone fall from my hand to the bed and, letting my eyes linger for a second more on the displayed picture, I jumped to the floor and ran from the room, sprinting like a madwoman until I reached the elevator and collapsed to my knees without a second of delay.

-----------

_'Gabriella… Hey. It's Ryan. I just wanted to let you know that, after this message, I won't bother you anymore. Maybe you were right. Maybe I am like my father. I don't want to hurt you, or anyone else, so consider me gone from your life. I won't try to talk to you, or Shar, or anyone. I'm still in Albuquerque, but I'm not staying with the Boltons anymore. Look, I don't know if you hate me or what, but take my advice and let Troy take care of you while you're still here. If you don't mind, tell my sister about this. I don't want anyone to come and try to find me where I'm at right now, and I don't want either of you trying to talk to me at school. It'll just cause problems. I just want you to forget about me and move on with your life, because I was never worth your time. I'm sorry for everything I've caused. Well… goodbye, Gabi. For good.'_

-----------

**3****rd**** Person POV**

It wasn't until Gabriella stepped from the elevator out to the fourth floor that she realized she had no idea where Sharpay's room was. Troy had told her, the evening before, what the room number was, but now the only thing she remembered was that it was on the fourth floor. Fortunately enough, it was _Sharpay_ who she was looking for, and it was rarely difficult to find Sharpay in a public place.

"What is _wrong _with you?!" the blonde's shrill voice rang down the hall. "I'm hungry! You're doing a _horrible _job at room service!" There was a mumble of reply. "I don't _care_ if this is a hospital; you should have room service! And while we're talking about your faulty service, the bed is hard and uncomfortable, the pillow is scratchy, the rooms are bland and dull, and-DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME WITH THAT NEEDLE!"

Gabriella couldn't help but smile. _'Not even injury could stop Sharpay from being… well, Sharpay,'_ she thought with a slight shake of her head as she walked towards the room from which the voice had come. She knocked lightly on the door upon reaching it, smiling awkwardly when she was met with a grateful look from the bed-ridden girl and a slightly annoyed stare from the nurse.

"Gabriella!" Sharpay exclaimed with almost genuine enthusiasm. Turning back to the nurse, she explained, "Gabi is a friend of mine who's staying at the hospital for now. _Her mother is Maria Montez, the woman who was shot and killed yesterday afternoon._" The last sentence was spoken quietly, but not quietly enough. Gabriella pretended she didn't hear it as the nurse nodded and noted that she had grabbed the wrong medication for Sharpay as a way to excuse herself from the room. Once she was gone, Sharpay let out an appreciative sigh.

"_Finally_ she's gone," she muttered under her breath. Then she smiled, a true and compassionate smile, at the Hispanic girl. "Gabriella, it's great to see you. How are you feeling? That is… well, Ryan told me about what happened, and so it would be totally acceptable if you were sad and wanted to talk or something, because you know you could talk to me about whatever you wanted if you wanted to. Because I would understand if you were upset over this whole thing, and I know how devastating it must have been." She was rambling, trying to tell Gabriella that she would be there as a friend for her without actually having to _say_ it. She also felt partially responsible for Ms. Montez's death, because she had made such a big deal about the woman's dating her father.

Gabriella, on the other hand, had heard Sharpay say Ryan's name, and she had completely blanked on everything except for the fact that they had broken up.

"Oh, yeah, it was a little devastating," the brunette mumbled. "But it's not like no one saw it coming. With your father being the way he is… I mean, it's inevitable that that's going to rub off onto Ryan. Everyone sees that he's turning into…" She stopped talking when she noticed the confused look on Sharpay's face, a look that she mistook for hurt and possibly anger. "I'm not saying that Ryan _will _be exactly like your father," she continued in an attempt to rekindle the good mood she thought she had destroyed. "It's just that there's the _possibility_, and Troy said that it would be best for my safety-"

"_What_ are you talking about?" Sharpay asked with a tilt of her head. Gabriella scrunched her eyebrows in confusion and stepped closer to the hospital bed.

"I'm talking about my breaking up with Ryan; what are _you_ talking about?" Gabriella asked. Sharpay's mouth fell open, her eyes wide.

"You broke up with Ryan?!" she shrieked. Gabriella nodded slowly, her mind still confused.

"Yeah, we broke up last night," she said in a surprisingly calm voice. She suddenly realized that Sharpay must have been talking about her mother's death at the start of the conversation and her cheeks turned slightly pink. Sharpay didn't notice.

"But why?" she asked. Her voice wasn't angry, only confused. She was clearly too shocked by this news to get into a rage… yet.

"Well, Troy talked to me yesterday while Ryan was with you, and he said that-"

"Troy?" As if on cue, Troy walked into the room just as Sharpay spoke his name, and he smiled at both girls. He didn't seem to notice that his girlfriend didn't smile back, nor did he notice that she was coming out of her shocked mood and her temper was rising.

"Good morning, ladies," he said, giving a hug to Gabriella. He pecked Sharpay on the lips, a gesture that she was nonreactant to. She instead looked to Gabriella and smiled her famous fake smile.

"Well, Gabriella, it's been nice talking to you this morning, but I really need to have a chat with Troy. Would you mind giving us a moment?" The girl said nothing, but nodded and disappeared into the hall. Sharpay closed her eyes then, attempting to gather her thoughts so that they didn't come out in an enraged, confusing babble that would hurt more than help. She exhaled through her nose, calm, and opened her eyes to look at her boyfriend.

"Ryan and Gabriella broke up," she stated. It wasn't a question, but Troy treated it as if it were.

"Yeah, last night. It's great, isn't it?" Sharpay could only stare at him in disbelief. He seemed so happy about it… _'Why in the world would their breakup make him so cheerful?'_ she thought. _'Unless… he's falling for Gabriella again. Oh, stop it Sharpay! He loves you; they're __just__ friends. But either way, Troy shouldn't be so happy about their breakup.'_ She tapped her fingers against the side of the bed, trying to stay calm.

"Gabriella was saying that you had said something to her, something that I suppose pushed her to dump my brother?" That was a question; an inquiry to find out what it was that Troy had said so that she could figure out why Gabriella would break up with Ryan. They had been so close the day before, and this sudden splitting didn't make sense. She only knew that Troy had something to do with it; the smile on his face confirmed it.

"Yeah. I helped her realize how much Ryan and your father are alike and how much danger both of you are in whenever he's around," he explained. "They broke up and Ryan's gone now, so you don't have to worry about him hurting you anymore." Troy put his hand comfortingly over Sharpay's, but she shoved it away with a furious glare. Only then did he realize how much trouble he was in.

"I don't have to _worry_ anymore?!" she shouted rhetorically. "I was never worried until now! Troy, you had _no_ right to interfere with Ryan and Gabriella's relationship; you should really be more concerned with _our_ relationship!" She was rambling again, but she didn't care anymore. "Ryan is _not_ like my father, not in the least bit! I can't believe you would even _think _that he's _anything_ like that bastard! My father just killed a person; do you really think Ryan would be capable of murdering someone?! And what do you mean by '_Ryan's gone_'?! Where is he?! He should be here with us!" She reached out with her arm and grabbed the collar of Troy's shirt, pulling him down to her level. "What did you do with my brother?"

Troy pulled himself out of her tight grip, popping the collar of his shirt. He looked more than a little hurt. "Chill out, Sharpay. Look, I know you love your brother and all, but he's dangerous. You're only lying to yourself when you say that he's nothing like your father. He's _everything_ like your father, and I'm only trying to protect you and Gabriella. You should be thanking me for what I've done."

Sharpay looked icily into Troy's face. She noticed how bruised and beaten it was, but she wasn't concerned. She was certain her brother had done it, and was sure that Troy probably deserved it. She felt like taking a swing at him herself. She shook her head disappointedly, crossing her arms.

"Troy, I honestly don't even know what to say right now. But just know that I do _not_ appreciate what you've done, I will _not_ thank you for it, and I _will_ find my brother wherever he's gone." Troy nodded with a sympathetic look in his eyes that Sharpay didn't like.

"Okay then," he said. "You're obviously still a little delirious from your surgery yesterday, but don't worry, baby. You'll come to your senses soon enough." He said it so simply, as if he thought she was stupid and her feelings didn't matter. It made her livid.

"Troy, I'm _not_ delirious! And let me tell you something-" Troy put his index finger over his girlfriend's lips, making a shushing noise.

"Get some rest, Sharpay. Look, I've got to get to school, but I'll come back to see you again after school, okay?" He spoke as if he were speaking to a child. Sharpay continued to glare at him due to her treatment.

"I don't want you; I want my brother!" she snapped. Troy chuckled and shook his head.

"Just forget about him, baby. You're safe now. It's better this way."

"Troy-" she protested, but he ignored her. He kissed her quickly on the forehead before turning and walking through the door. Sharpay growled in frustration, letting her head fall heavily back to the hard, scratchy pillow. She _wasn't_ delirious, but she _would_ find her brother. Tonight. Even if it meant sneaking out of the hospital.

**Sodagirl Says**: Sorry if I made any spelling/grammatical errors. I'm very short on time and I didn't get to read over this. Feel free to point out any errors I might have made, and please let me know what you thought of the chapter! Much love. ;)

Oh yeah, and check out my YouTube, (see my profile), and the new one-shot I'm about to put up, _Watermelon Sorbet_! It's a Troypay ;)


	20. Sneaky Evans

**Flame of my Heart  
**by hotsodagirl

**Summary:** A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre:** Romance/Drama

**Rating:** T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says**: Okay, unless you've checked my profile since, like, yesterday, you're probably expecting an explanation on why I said I was going to be working all hard on my work this summer, and then I never gave you all any updates. Well, I actually _do _have a pretty legitimate excuse compared to my normal "I've-been-busy" excuse. Okay, well around the time that I updated last time, my dad got really really sick. Like, he was hospitalized for a few weeks and everything. So when that happened I got really thrown off course as far as my writing goes and I never really got back to it. Well, now I am back to it, and in case you were wondering, my dad is doing a lot better now than he was before. So now I'm back to writing, but I really don't know how much work is going to get done before I go back to school on August 27. I still have all of my summer reading (_The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn_, _Oedipus Rex_ and _Antigone_ by Sophocles, _House on Mango Street_, and the Bible) to do in less than a month, so I'm going to be totally cramming everything for the next four weeks. But I'm going to do my best to try and finish this thing before I go back to school. If I stay focused, I'm _pretty sure_ I can do it, but don't hate me if I can't! Either way, I won't let school get in the way of finishing this story and I'll have it finished very soon.

Okay, so this is Chapter Twenty. I'm going to go ahead and start the drama/climax in this chapter, but be warned: I'm pretty much leaving you all with a _little _cliffhanger at the end. Chapter 21 is going to be the climax and then there'll be the rest of the story, which will go smoothly…

You don't _really_ believe that things will go smoothly, do you? You'd better not, because that's not really my style :P But don't worry about it now. For right now, just enjoy this new chapter, and _seriously_ expect the next chapter to go up soon! (I'm aiming for sometime towards the end of this week)

Enjoy Chapter 20! (Sorry that it's a little short) And don't forget to drop me a review at the end! Much love.

**Chapter Twenty: Sneaky Evans**

_'What have I gotten myself into?'_ Sharpay thought, wincing in pain from her hiding spot inside of the housekeeping cart. Her body was curled up almost into a ball and she was positioned in a large laundry bag between layers of used bed sheets. The sting in her legs hurt like hell, and she knew she would be in complete agony in the morning. But it didn't matter. No amount of physical pain could compare to the grief her thoughts were giving her.

Her father had killed Gabriella's mother. Troy had told Gabriella… _something_, which she had yet to figure out, and then Gabriella and Ryan had broken up. Now apparently Ryan was gone, and Troy was acting stranger than ever before. None of it made sense, and Sharpay knew that no one was going to tell her what was going on unless she pursued it and sought out the only person she knew would tell her anything she needed to know.

At least, she _hoped_ he would tell her anything she needed to know.

The housekeeping cart jolted as the housekeeper entered an elevator and Sharpay had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. The housekeeper was an older Oriental man who had been surprisingly agreeable about letting an injured hospital patient climb into his cart, but Sharpay didn't know if there was anyone else in the elevator. She wasn't about to risk blowing her cover to find out, either. Smothering her face in dirty laundry, she let a small squeak escape her mouth and then instantly slapped her hand over her mouth. The pain was getting worse with every minute that passed, and she desperately hoped that the housekeeper was almost done with his rounds.

For once, luck was in her favor. After only two more severe jolts, one from exiting the elevator and another as the housekeeper entered the laundry room, Sharpay heard the bag open and then felt the pain be partially relieved as the housekeeper began to pull sheets out of the bag. Once all of the laundry that had been on top of Sharpay had been taken out, the Oriental man smiled at her and held his hand out to help the girl out of the bag. Her eyes shut tightly and her face twitched as she touched her feet gingerly to the floor and let them support her full body weight. She cursed under her breath, shocked at how much more acute the pain was now in comparison to how it had been a half hour before when the housekeeper had come in to clean up for the evening.

The housekeeper was giving her a concerned look, so Sharpay hid her pain and forced a smile onto her face. The man smiled back and said something to her in his native language. Sharpay just nodded. "Thank you," she said slowly and loudly, as if it would help him understand her. Clearly he understood her about as well as she had understood him, but he nodded back and continued to smile anyway. He bowed to her and she gave her best try at bowing back. It was a pathetic attempt, but the man didn't seem to care. He said something else in his language and then turned away to work on the laundry he had taken out.

Sharpay allowed her smile to slip away and let an expression that reflected her true pain take its place. Resting one hand against the wall, she let it guide her past the door that would lead her out to the hallway of the first floor and instead to a window on the other side of the room. It was cracked open, and she let her weight lean against the frame as she pushed it the rest of the way open. She paused for a moment, taking heavy breaths as she tried to compose herself. Once the pain was back down to merely excruciating, she used her arms to pull herself up to the height of the window. Sitting on the windowsill, she looked to the ground four feet below and closed her eyes fearfully.

_'God, this is going to hurt,'_ she thought. Taking a deep breath, she leaned forward and tumbled out the window and down to the ground. It wouldn't have been such a horrible fall if she had been in perfect health, but with her condition it felt as if she had fell four whole stories. She cried out in anguish, feeling tears gather at the corners of her eyes that she continued to keep tightly shut. Suddenly, she heard a voice call her name, and then footsteps running towards her. She cursed under her breath again, from a mixture of the pain and from getting caught.

_'But the laundry room is at the back of the hospital. How would anyone who knows me think to come back here?'_

"Sharpay, what the hell are you doing?" the voice asked as strong arms cradled her. Sharpay only moaned incomprehensibly in reply and let herself fall limp in the other's arms. She felt comforted here with this person, and, for some reason aside from the pain, she felt like crying. Her heart leaped inside of her, and she didn't need to open her eyes to understand her feelings.

"Ryan…" she groaned, taking sharp breaths from the ache in her legs. Despite the pain, she twisted her body around and wrapped her arms around her brother, hiding her face into the folds of his shirt. He sighed; she could sense his feelings within her. He was caught between conflicting thoughts. He didn't think he should be anywhere near her, and yet he knew he wouldn't have left her at that moment even if she hadn't been in the terrible position that she was.

_'Ryan, what's going on?'_

Whether he meant to or not, Ryan's story silently poured into Sharpay's thoughts. His original jealousy of her attention to Troy, his love for Gabriella, his pain from harming Sharpay when he had been drunk, his witness of Ms. Montez's murder, his breakup with Gabriella, his fight with Troy…

Sharpay tightened her grip around her brother's waist as she took in the whole story. She couldn't believe she had been so blind to what had been going on around her. But at least now things made more sense. Troy had told Gabriella that Ryan was turning into his father. Gabriella had believed Troy, and so she broke up with Ryan. Troy had told the same story to Ryan, and Ryan had believed it too. So he had left. And yet now he was here with his sister, which is exactly where Sharpay believed he belonged.

_'How did you know to find me back here?'_

_'I sensed you'd be here. I told myself I wouldn't look back, but I had to. I just had to see you one last time, Shar.'_

_'One last time? What are you talking about?'_

_'I'm turning into Dad and I'm dangerous to you. I'm leaving after this, and then I really won't look back.'_

"Hey!" a different voice rang out from the side of the building that led to the front. It was the voice of an angry person. It was the voice of a jackass. It was the voice of Troy. "Get the hell away from her if you know what's best for you!"

Sharpay felt her brother pull her close to his body momentarily. He leaned his head against hers, moving his mouth to her ear. "I love you, Shar," he whispered. "I'm sorry that I have to leave you like this, but I know you'll be safe with Troy. He'll be good to you."

"You've got until the count of five to step away from my girlfriend and get the hell out of here!" Troy yelled from his stationary position. "One…"

"No, Ryan. You can't leave me," Sharpay said in a struggle to find her voice.

"Two…"

"I have to, Shar. It's the only way to make sure that you'll be safe," Ryan said, pulling his head away from hers.

"Three…"

"Ryan, please…" Sharpay said, the volume of her voice falling shakily until it was barely audible. "I'm dying…"

"Four…"

Sharpay sensed that her brother nodded. "I know," he muttered, laying her as gently as possible onto the hard gravel pavement. "That's why I _have_ to leave you now. Your safety is the most important thing to me."

"Five!" Sharpay heard Troy's footsteps approaching rapidly, but Ryan disappeared swiftly before her boyfriend arrived at her side. He didn't pursue her brother. Instead he kneeled next to his girlfriend and cradled her head in his arms. Sharpay didn't fall limp, nor did she feel comforted as she had with her brother. She only felt furious and sick to her stomach. How could she have ever trusted Troy? And how could Troy have ever done such a thing?

"Shar, baby, are you all right?" Troy asked while stroking her hair. "Oh, God, what did your brother do to you? I swear, the next time I run into him again I'll kick his ass for what he's done. Baby, I'm so sorry I wasn't here sooner. Don't worry; from now on I won't ever leave your side. I won't let Ryan harm another hair on your head, I promise you." Sharpay felt her anger boiling over from his words.

"Ryan… didn't… harm me!" she yelled, stumbling over her own words. Still, her fury and her newfound knowledge of the truth gave her strength and possibly madness. It was as if she had no control over her body as she went into a flying rage. She elbowed her boyfriend in the stomach, batted his arms away from her, clawed at his face, and kicked him, screaming at the top of her lungs the whole time. Everything was a blur to her, but at some point she felt her boyfriend grab both of her wrists with one hand and pin down her legs with the other. For a few moments she lied still, breathing heavily and trying to ignore the increasingly unbearable pain that came from her legs. She had almost forgotten she was injured until this point.

"Shar, what has gotten into you?" Troy demanded, staring at her face with a hurt expression. Sharpay opened her eyes, although it pained her, and she set an icy glare on him. Her face was red from anger and frustration. Tear trails ran down her cheeks and her hair was a mess. But the intensity of her glare was nevertheless aggressive and intimidating.

"Do _not_ call me Shar," she snapped in a low, hateful voice. "In fact, don't call me anything at all, Troy. Because I am sick and tired of you. You think that my brother has hurt me so much, but he hasn't! Ryan never really hurt me; not the way that _you_ have hurt me." Troy looked appalled, as if he couldn't believe that he could have had anything to do with his girlfriend's pain. "Don't give me that face, Troy. You've wrecked my relationship with my brother, and you've completely ruined his life. I don't know why you seem to think that Ryan's dangerous, but he's not. He's my brother, and he's more important to me than you ever were. I love him, and if you're going to try and get in the way of that then I don't want to have anything to do with you."

Troy stared at her blankly, his mouth slightly ajar. "I just want to protect you…" he mumbled absently. Sharpay scoffed to the best of her ability.

"Oh, really? Well then, why don't you _try_ to protect me for once? Because so far, you've only caused more trouble for everyone." At that moment, hospital employees who had heard her screams came rushing out from the front of the hospital and over to the two teenagers. One man picked up the blonde girl and lied her on a stretcher that two nurses had brought out. Sharpay continued to glare at Troy, and just before the personnel took her back inside she spoke the two words that he had never wanted to hear her say.

"We're over."

The nurses turned the stretcher around and the employees promptly took her into the hospital, leaving Troy alone in the back of the building. He stood there, staring off into the distance, for what seemed to be a long time. In reality, it was only about a minute before his cell phone rang from inside of his pocket. The ringing pulled him back to his senses and he glanced briefly at the caller ID before answering.

_TAYLOR._

"Hello?"

_"Troy! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh…"_ Taylor was hyperventilating on the other end of the line.

"Taylor, Taylor, calm down," Troy said. A bad feeling was forming in the pit of his stomach. "Taylor, please, try to calm down. What's going on?"

_"Ryan's father… and Gabriella… oh my gosh…"_ Troy could hear her burst into tears, but his mind was racing too quickly to be too concerned about her. Something had happened to Gabriella.

"Taylor! Taylor, stop crying! Where are you?"

_"In the back alleys of 2__nd__ street… Troy, hurry!"_ Suddenly, she screamed. Troy heard a man's maniacal laughter in the background, and then the sound of Taylor's phone clattering to the ground. There was more screaming that Troy discerned as both Taylor and Gabriella, and then the man shouted at them. "Say goodbye, girls!" The girls screamed, and then the line went dead.

Troy was in a cold sweat, and his body was shaking. No thoughts passed through his mind; nothing processed in his head. There was only the slight impression that he had turned around and immediately began running as fast as he could in the direction of the quickest route to 2nd street. He could only hope that he wouldn't be too late by the time he got to the back alleys.

**Sodagirl Says**: See, I told you there'd be a _little_ cliffhanger:P Okay, and just to clear something up before anyone gets confused, when Sharpay said she was dying, she didn't mean she was _literally_ dying. It's just like, she feels like she's dying from the pain and from being without Ryan. I thought I'd mention that because when I was re-reading this chapter, I confused myself. :P So I didn't want anyone else to get confused and think she was _really_ dying when she wasn't. J

Oh, and just so you all know, Troypay isn't over _for good_. Just for now. So don't think that I'm just ripping apart all the couples of this story. Well, I _am_ ripping them apart, but I'm gonna put them back together so it's okay :) So, like I said, I'm aiming to have the next chapter up soon, but for now you can help me out by leaving me a review so that I can have a smile on my face as I work on the next part of the story :) Thanks for reading! Much love!


	21. To The Rescue

**Flame of my Heart  
**by hotsodagirl

**Summary:** A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre:** Romance/Drama

**Rating:** T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says**: Hey everyone! Okay, I seriously don't even know how I did this. I wrote this entire chapter in one sitting the night after I put up chapter 20. But I didn't put it up right away because I had to revise it a lot and stuff :) 

So anyway, this is pretty much the big part of the story. The beginning of this chapter takes place pretty much in conjunction with the last one. Like, this chapter starts at about the same time that Sharpay was in the housekeeping cart, but it'll continue on after the last chapter ended. And after this, the story is pretty much over! Okay, so we still have two more normal chapters and then the epilogue, but that's all going to go really fast. Like, I didn't think I'd be done so soon because of my summer reading, but then I figured out how short the Greek plays were so I was like "Okay, I have time to write now!" And then I was just inspired and I did this whole thing at one time. It took me many hours to write it all and then the editing and all (there was a lot of it – see the below warning), but I now present to you Chapter 21: To The Rescue.

**WARNING**: This chapter contains violence and rape. I tried not to make either one too detailed, since this _is_ still a T rated fic, but it's still there. Originally the chapter was going to be longer, but then it ended up sounding more like something from an M rated fic so I cut out a lot of the details, especially the violence part. (The actual story part of the chapter is only 4476 words.) So it was actually originally even more dramatic and stuff but then I had to cut a lot out. But it's still pretty good. (I hope.) Just imagine that it's a lot more violent if you wish :)Okay, well enjoy!

**Chapter Twenty One: To The Rescue**

"… and then he told me that he loved me."

"Shut up!"

"I'm serious!"

"But why would Troy say that to you when he's dating Sharpay?"

"I don't know…" Gabriella frowned in puzzlement as she sucked the end of her strawberry fruit smoothie out through a straw. She and Taylor had walked over to the North Albuquerque Shopping Center after school and they were just finishing up their shopping trip. They stood from the table they had been sitting at in front of the smoothie shop and took their shopping bags with them when they went to throw away their Styrofoam cups. Taylor was shaking her head in skepticism.

"That boy has got more problems than an emo kid trying out for cheerleading," she said, and Gabriella laughed.

"You don't know how right you are," Gabriella agreed, pulling a scrunchie from her purse and tying her hair up in a ponytail. She fanned herself with her hand. The days were getting warmer as they got further into spring with the temperatures almost up into the 90's. In Gabriella's opinion, it was way too hot for the end of March. _'I wonder what the temperatures are like in Colorado,'_ she thought as her mind drifted to moving for the millionth time that day.

Taylor sighed and linked arms with her best friend with a slight frown on her face. It didn't take long for gossip to travel around the students living in Albuquerque, and so Taylor had known about Gabriella's move to Colorado and her breakup with Ryan before she had even seen her at school that morning. Most times when Gabriella was upset about something, Taylor would have talked to her about it and pepped her up as much as she could, but today she stayed silent and let her friend drift into her thoughts whenever she needed to. She knew that if _her_ mother had been killed by _her_ boyfriend's father, she wouldn't want pity. She would just want someone to be there for her, and she intended to be the person to be there for Gabriella whether she wanted to talk or just sit in silence.

The girls walked silently away from the shopping center. They crossed the crosswalk and cut across the park to 3rd street, at which point Gabriella's phone rang. She glanced down at the caller ID before answering it a voice that attempted to be cheerful but ended up sounding somewhere between bored and depressed.

"Hi Aunt Shirley… No, we're just coming home from the shopping center. Where are you?… Oh, really? That's not good… No, of course; I'll be fine by myself for a little while… No, we don't have any animals… 8:00? That's kind of late… Well, I know, but… I wasn't arguing! I was just… I don't know; I thought I'd order in a pizza… You're kidding. Well what should I… Goat's milk?! I don't… Aunt Shirley, wait… But… Fine, I'll see you later. Bye." She hung up her phone and rolled her eyes at Taylor.

"Her flight's been delayed two hours. She thought she was going to be here by 6:00 but now she won't be here until 8:00 at the earliest," Gabriella explained with a small sigh. Taylor smiled at her and squeezed her arm.

"Do you want me to spend the night so that you'll have someone with you in case she's even later?" Taylor asked. Gabriella smiled gratefully.

"Oh, Tay, would you mind? I don't think I could handle having to go to a hotel by myself and get a room for me and my aunt. I mean, it's not like we can stay at my house since it's a murder scene and the police are still investigating. It's too bad that they can't just take my word for it that Mr. Evans was the one who killed my mother. No, they have to _investigate_ everything. It's ridiculous," Gabriella complained to cover the fact that she was presently beginning to tear up. Taylor nodded.

"I guess that's just how they have to do their job. But don't worry about it; I'll go to the hotel with you. Now, what was that about goat's milk?" Taylor asked with a raise of her eyebrows, attempting to get her friend's mind off of her mother. Gabriella shook her head.

"I don't even know! She said she was allergic to pizza and that she thought we should share a tofu salad with goat's milk for dinner." Both girls made disgusted faces and Taylor pretended to throw up at the thought of it. Gabriella laughed, but only for a moment before she suddenly fell silent once more. Taylor looked over to her, concerned.

"Gabi? Are you okay?" she asked. Gabriella didn't answer right away. She stopped walking abruptly and whirled around to look behind her. She did a double take to the left and then to the right, and there was a fearful look in her eyes. Taylor grasped her arm tightly and looked around with her. "Gabi?"

"I feel like we're being followed," Gabriella muttered quietly. Taylor tried not to look at her friend like she was being completely absurd and paranoid. She kept her voice low, for Gabriella's sake, and pulled her friend along to 2nd street.

"Gabi, I don't think that anyone is following us. Maybe it's just your imagination. It wouldn't be completely surprising for you to be feeling this way after… you know, yesterday." Gabriella clung to her friend's arm and walked a little bit more quickly.

"Tay, I don't think this is my imagination." She glanced over her shoulder. "I seriously think that someone is following us." Taylor sighed, trying not to get frustrated with Gabriella. She was almost positive that her friend was indeed imagining things, which made sense after what had happened to her mother. She was trying to think of a way to get Gabriella to believe her without making her feel stupid when suddenly the Hispanic girl made a sharp turn and pulled her into an alleyway between Al's Doughnut Shop and Tina's Coffee House. Taylor yelped in surprise and stumbled alongside her friend.

"Girl, what are you doing?" she asked, pulling her arm away from Gabriella's as she tried to regain her footing. Gabriella bit her lip and continued walking, the alleyway growing darker the farther they went. She abruptly stopped walking and held her hand out to the side to stop her friend after about ten seconds. Her eyes widened and she turned her head ever so slightly to look at Taylor.

"Did you hear that?" she whispered. Taylor only looked at her with confusion. Gabriella began walking again, pulling Taylor along with her, and then stopped as suddenly as before. This time Taylor listened, and what she heard made her blood run cold. While they had been walking, the sound of footsteps followed from behind. When they stopped, the footsteps continued on for a second longer and then stopped. The girls gripped each other's hands tightly but didn't dare to move another muscle.

"What do we do?" Taylor asked in a voice that was barely audible. Gabriella considered their options for a moment before choosing the best one she could think of.

"Run," she ordered under her breath. The girls took off at lightening speeds down the alleyway. They heard the sound of footsteps running behind them, but they didn't dare to look back. If they could find where the alley came back out into the street, they would be back in the public and they could find a safe place to go. Unfortunately, luck was not on their side. They soon came to the end of the alleyway and found a dead end. The skidded to a stop to avoid hitting the brick wall that blocked them off, and then they heard a voice from behind them.

"Hello there, girls. What brings you two to a dark alleyway on a day as fine as this?" The girls froze in place. Taylor was scared out of her mind, but her fear was nothing compared to that of the girl next to her. Gabriella recognized the voice behind her and she turned around to face their predator, although she already knew who she would find.

He stood assertively at six feet before them, right in the middle of the width of the alley. The little light that filtered into the darkness reflected off of his blonde and graying hair, and it caught the icy blue intensity of his eyes. A bulging trench coat was worn suspiciously on his body, and one hand was hiding behind his back. Gabriella took a deep breath and swallowed before daring to speak.

"Mr. Evans," she acknowledged with an exceptionally level voice. He grinned maliciously.

"Ah, so you remember me Miss Montez," he said, holding his visible hand over his heart mockingly. "I'm touched."

"How could I ever forget what you've done to my life?" Gabriella asked, her eyes watering from both anger and fear. "You brought two children into this world: a son who may very well end up a murderer like yourself one day, and a daughter who has tried to make my life a living hell since the day I moved to Albuquerque." She took a bold step towards him. "Because of you, the past week and a half of my life has been torture. I've gone through two boyfriends and a hell of a lot of problems. I have no parents and no one to love. I haven't forgotten you, nor have I forgiven you." She held her arms out in question. "So what do you want now? What more could you possibly do to screw up my life any more?" The grin on the man's face grew even more wicked.

"There isn't much I could do to screw up your life anymore," he said, taking a step closer to her. "But there is something I can do to satisfy myself. You see, Maria told me that the reason she was breaking up with me was because _you_ had called her and told her of my true nature. I killed her then, and I vowed that I'd get revenge on the one who persuaded her. That would be you." He laughed in a manner only capable by a maniac, and then jerked his hidden arm in front of him. Grasped in his hand was a large blade with sharp, jagged edges. Gabriella's eyes widened as her former bravery evaporated from her body and she whimpered in fear.

"It's your time now, my dear _Gabriella Montez_," he spat. He leaped towards her and tackled her to the ground in one fluid motion. She screamed and tried to push him away from her, but she wasn't strong enough. He cackled as he reached out with his free hand and grabbed her around the throat, cutting off her ability to breathe or make any form of noise. Her body squirmed and jerked beneath him, trying to get away, but he leaned his body atop hers to hinder her movement. She sensed that the already dark alleyway was growing darker, and her head felt like it might explode from the lack of oxygen. And then suddenly the man's strong grip was gone from her throat, and she could breathe again. She gulped in air as quickly as she could, her mind only focused on breathing again. Her head was already spinning when the man put his hand to her face and pushed her head violently down to the hard ground, making a _thunk_ on the hard gravel. He held the edge of his blade to her throat and dragged it lightly across her skin. Gabriella immediately felt a trickle of thick liquid run down her neck, but she was too paralyzed to say or do anything.

"Now listen to me, _sweetheart_," he said, his face merely inches from her own. His breath smelled strongly of whiskey. "I'm not going to kill you – _yet_. I'll get some pleasure out of you while you're still alive. You are going to do exactly as I want, and then when I'm through with you is when I'll decide to kill you. Got that?" Gabriella felt that she began to cry, but aside from that it was as if every system in her body had shut down.

Mr. Evans sneered viciously and pulled his trench coat off with his free hand, keeping the blade to Gabriella's throat with the other. He pulled another, smaller knife from an interior pocket of his coat and used it to cut through the fabric of the girl's tee shirt, tank top, and bra in one slice. Pushing away the fabric, he moved his head down and kissed her breasts hungrily, biting down on her tender flesh. Only now did she cry out, and the older man slapped her face with the smooth side of his blade as punishment. She cried out again and he bit down harder on her breast. She screamed and he threw her against the wall of the alley. She felt paralyzed again when she landed, unable to move and unable to make any noise aside from her crying.

As all of this was going on, Taylor was standing against the dead end wall of the alley, invisible to the thoughts of Michael Evans. She was nearly as paralyzed as her friend, and she was forced to watch so much of this routine before she came to her senses. Flattening herself out as much as possible against the wall, she opened her cell phone and a random number on her speed dial. She happened to end up calling Troy. Her mind panicked through the first two rings before Troy answered.

_"Hello?"_

"Troy!" she yelled, fear making her unable to keep quiet. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh…" She was too freaked out to even say anything that would make sense beneath her hyperventilating.

_"Taylor, Taylor, calm down,"_ Troy was saying. _"Taylor, please, try to calm down. What's going on?"_ Taylor responded to his question with the most understandable explanation she could muster.

"Ryan's father… and Gabriella… oh my gosh…" She suddenly burst into tears at the impact of what she was witnessing.

_"Taylor! Taylor, stop crying! Where are you?"_ Taylor's mind raced to remember.

"In the back alleys of 2nd street…" This was when Mr. Evans had thrown Gabriella against the side wall. "Troy, hurry!" she yelled even more loudly than before, which was a mistake in its own. Michael Evans, who was on his way towards Gabriella, looked over in her direction and appeared to notice her for the first time. She screamed and he laughed maniacally. Her shaking hands caused her to drop her phone on the ground, but she hardly noticed. She tried to run past Mr. Evans, thinking that if she could get back to the other end of the alley then she could get help from someone. But Mr. Evans hadn't come alone. Two masked men jumped out of the darkness and grabbed Taylor, and it didn't take her long to see that they were both armed with guns. She screamed again.

Gabriella screamed as well from her position on the ground, where Mr. Evans had refocused his attention on her and had used his blade to remove the rest of her clothing. He was atop of her, stealing her innocence with every motion, and she had an incredibly helpless look in her tear-flooded eyes. Of the two men holding Taylor, one of them held the dark-skinned girl around the waist and put his gun to her head. The other walked to where she had dropped her phone and picked it up from the ground. He held it out to the two teenagers.

"Say goodbye, girls!" he yelled. The man holding Taylor shoved his gun closer into her temple and Mr. Evans was hurting Gabriella in ways she couldn't describe. Both girls were screaming as the man holding the phone pulled the trigger of his gun and blasted the cellular device into pieces. He laughed as if he had done the most satisfactory thing in the world and then returned to Taylor and the other mysterious accomplice.

Taylor didn't dare to move in the men's arms in fear of getting killed. She was horrified at what was happening, not to her, but to Gabriella. The Hispanic girl looked like she might have already been dead. Taylor understood then that there was no hope left for either of them. She stifled a sob as she realized that they would kill Gabriella once Mr. Evans was done with her, and they'd probably make Taylor watch. And then they'd move on to her…

She didn't notice what had happened until it had already occurred. Both of the men holding her groaned, and suddenly she was free from their grasps and the men were out cold on the ground. Somebody ran past her, and she looked up just in time to see a blonde male growl and jump atop the older man and young girl a few feet away. The new person threw his arms around Mr. Evans and pulled back on his throat, choking him. The older man released himself from Gabriella and fell backwards, hitting the concrete as the blonde male rolled out of the way and stood to his feet.

Taylor felt a smile come to her tear-stained face as she saw what was happened. She knew she had been wrong. She had thought there was no hope, but there was. Their hope had arrived in the swift, valiant body of the one and only Ryan Evans. She watched as Gabriella seemed to regain some life and as she looked up to her heroic rescuer. She was too far gone emotionally to even register a smile, as her friend had, but her appearance did change somewhat, if only that she appeared to be alive rather than dead.

While Mr. Evans was still on the ground hacking his lungs out in an attempt to breathe, Ryan kneeled down next to his ex-girlfriend and hugged her close to his body. He seemed to know that she wouldn't respond if he had said anything, so he stayed silent. He let his actions speak for him as he kissed her forehead gently and stroked her hair. She looked into his eyes, but still said nothing. Her naked, bruised body shook violently; she was bleeding fiercely from more than one place and the blood ran over every limb and area of her being. Ryan had been raised to be strong, and to think that men should never cry, but without his consent he felt a drop of salty water fall from his eye and down his cheek in a reaction to the girl's condition. Now _his_ body was shaking as well, but it was not from sadness or fear. It was from rage. He knew his father was a horrible person, but he had never thought him to be capable of something like _this_. This was the last straw. He wouldn't let his father get away unpunished this time.

Mr. Evans began to regain himself on the ground behind the couple, and so Ryan quickly threw off his button down shirt and wrapped it around Gabriella as best he could to cover her up. Then he stood, unflinchingly, before his father, his hands clenched into two tight fists. The elder Evans stood, a cocky and evil smirk still present on his face. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and spat to the side, never taking his eyes off of his son. Ryan refused to break the eye contact either, and so both stared each other down for a few moments, both waiting for the other to be the one to blame for making the first move. When it was apparent that neither was going to do anything, Michael loosened his posture and motioned to the beaten girl on the ground.

"She's a good one to fuck, that one," he said, knowing exactly how to raise his son's temper. "Almost as good as your sister is on the rare chance that I get her alone." Ryan's face stiffened with unimaginable fury. Michael laughed. "What, she never told you? Come on, you don't think I'd rape a teenage girl without getting some practice first, do you?"

He barely had time to let out another chuckle before Ryan was upon him, screaming his rage out to the skies. He threw his father to the wall, beating him against the hard brick with all of his strength. There was a cracking sound as Michael's nose and jaw were broken, blood spewing to the gravel and blending in with the crimson stones. But Michael had grown familiar with his son's attacks, and it didn't take him long to turn the tables on the brawl. He elbowed Ryan and flipped him to the ground, slugging him in the face as payback for what he had just done. Ryan gouged his father in the eyes, and when his hands had flown up to his face in pain he took the opportunity to push the older man to the ground.

Unfortunately, Michael had very good reflexes and he had eleven years of experience behind him. He let his hands leave his face and grabbed his son's shoulders as he continued to roll. He gripped Ryan's right arm and pulled it far behind his son's back so that when he threw him back to the ground it made the satisfactory snap of broken bone. Ryan yelled in pain and shut his eyes for only a second, but a second was long enough for his father to get the upper hand. Michael placed his full body weight on his son, with his elbow on Ryan's throat and his knee on his crotch. Ryan's scream was silenced then, and he could feel himself slipping and losing strength. He tried to fight back with all of his might, but he soon began to feel that his "all of his might" was almost nothing by this point

And so he was close to giving up once he saw his father pull a gun out. He cursed in his blinded thoughts and closed his eyes, letting his weary head fall to the side. He had failed in trying to save Taylor and Gabriella, and that single thought hurt him more than anything else. Now it was truly hopeless. Who would think to come back here to rescue them? He knew that the girls wouldn't be able to escape. Gabriella was in no condition for running. Taylor wasn't strong enough to carry her friend, and there was no way that she would leave the girl behind. Ryan wished desperately for a miracle; something that would save the girl that he still loved, and her friend.

Suddenly, just as Ryan felt like he was living his last moments, Michael was on the ground beside him, doubled over in pain, and the gun had been thrown a few yards to the side. Ryan was still on the floor, confused, when he noticed a figure in the darkness as his sight began to return to him. The person kneeled down next to the blonde boy and grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him up to his feet. Ryan tried to ignore the pain, but still felt himself swaying. He thought he would fall back to the ground, but the figure kept a steady hand on him.

"Come on, Evans," a familiar voice said. "If you were able to beat my ass, you had better not give up now on your old man. Stop being a pussy and help me keep him at bay until the police get here." Ryan nodded and somehow found the strength to chuckle confidently and push the helpful hand with his non-broken arm away from his body.

"You kidding me, Bolton?" he said coolly with a grin. "I've got the energy to beat the asses of both you _and_ my father and still have enough left over to run back to the hospital and check up on my sister again."

Troy chuckled and shook his head. "By the looks of things, you'll be getting a nice ambulance ride to the hospital. But for right now let's just worry about your dad." Ryan started to move towards the lump that was his father, but Troy put his hand on Ryan's shoulder again and turned him back to face him. "By the way," Troy said, smirking. "I could beat your ass any day." Ryan shook his head, though there was still a diminutive smile on his face.

"You keep thinking that, Bolton."

-------

Twenty minutes later, the police were dragging Michael Evans into the police car and the emergency workers were wheeling an unconscious Gabriella into the ambulance on a stretcher and helping the other three teenagers inside as well. As the ambulance sped down the streets to return to the hospital, Troy took Gabriella's left hand from the right side of the ambulance. Taylor sat to Ryan's right on the left side of the ambulance, checking out his injuries as best she could. No one talked; no one made a single noise. Troy had his eyes closed, and he was praying for one of the few times in his life and thanking God that no one else had been killed. After finishing her silent examination, Taylor sat with her knees up to her chin and recalled the recent event fearfully. Ryan stared on at Gabriella, tremendously grateful that she would live to see another day. He didn't care about his pain or if the girl hated him or liked him or whatever, so long as she was safe.

Five minutes from the hospital, Gabriella's eyes fluttered open. She looked at the roof of the ambulance, then she looked to Troy, and then she looked to Ryan. She didn't break the silence that the others had created. She simply moved her right hand out slowly from beneath the sheet of the stretcher and reached out to her ex-boyfriend. He felt a smile come to his lips and though it physically pained him he took her petite hand with the hand of his broken arm. He then put his other arm around Taylor, so that she wasn't left out, and Troy took her hand as well with his free hand. Gabriella closed her eyes again and smiled to the best of her ability.

The four teenagers were in an ambulance, and two were fairly injured, but something had changed. After the hell-ish atmosphere that had been smothering everyone for almost two weeks, things were suddenly peaceful. And for one of the first times in his life, Ryan Evans actually felt that he and the ones he cared most about were… safe.

---------

**Sodagirl Says**: Well I hope you all liked that because I worked long and hard on it. (I hope it was still okay with not as _much_ violence as I had originally put in.) I really really want to thank you all, as well, because we've hit another milestone! With the last chapter this story passed 400 reviews, and I am so grateful for that! Like, I was shocked enough to reach 300 reviews, but this is unbelievable. I love you all and I really hope that you all have enjoyed the story thus far and I hope you'll stick around through the rest (and the possible sequel). And don't think that there won't be anything else dramatic in the rest of the story after this, because I'm still holding some drama out for the end. But there won't be _too _much drama.

There's gonna be some fluff and cute stuff in the next part because I think that we all need some happiness and good feelings after all the drama of this story :P I'm also going to explain how Ryan ended up in the alleyway in the first place, in case you all were wondering, and stuff's gonna start wrapping up. :) So now it's review time, and I will update again ASAP. Love you all!


	22. Making Things Right For Gabriella

**Flame of my Heart  
**by hotsodagirl

**Summary:** A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre:** Romance/Drama

**Rating:** T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says**: Hey everyone, thanks for the awesome reviews on the last chapter. I was so glad that you all liked it so much ;) As for this chapter, oh my goodness, it gave me trouble so much trouble. :P Like, I had been pretty satisfied with the past few chapters, but when I first wrote this one I hated it so much and so I had to rewrite it a few times until I liked it. And then it, like, _never_ ended:P Seriously, I wasn't even done writing this chapter when I realized that it was going to be, like, _extremely_ long, and so I actually took what I had originally planned for this chapter and I split it into two parts. Like I had planned the entire next chapter to be in here with this one, but I wrote this part and I was like "Okay, this is already past 7000 words so I'm just gonna make an extra chapter." So, yeah, I had ended up with figuring out that this story was gonna somehow only have 24 chapters, but then that fixed my problem and bumped it back up to 25. And I could go on about it for a while, but I won't because you already have enough to read.

So anyway, here is another chapter, and yeah I am actually doing really well at updating consistently since I came back to this story a few weeks ago. Like, I literally put myself on a deadline schedule for my writing and my summer reading for the rest of the summer. So this story is actually going to finished, like, next week, and I can hardly believe it but I'll rant about that at the very end of everything :P This chapter is all about Gabriella and Ryella, and you know what to do by now. Read the chapter, leave me reviews, and I will have the next chapter up as soon as I can. (My deadline is Sunday, so it'll be up by that day at the latest unless something major happens in my life and I can't write.)

Oh yeah, and there's a short song that Ryan sings in this chapter, but it's something that I don't have to put a disclaimer on for once because I'm actually the one who wrote it. :P It's originally a song that I wrote about this one guy that I liked at the time, but I changed some of the lyrics so that it worked for Ryan and this story. So hopefully I'm not a horrible songwriter. If I am, I'm sorry:P Enjoy!

**Chapter Twenty Two: Making Things Right For Gabriella**

Friday afternoon, once the bell had rung, Ryan managed to make his way through the crowded halls of East High and into his sanctuary: the theater. He had been avoiding contact with everyone throughout the week ever since the incident with his father. It wasn't that he thought that his former friends would reject him. After he had saved Gabriella and Taylor from a fatal ending, he was almost positive that they would welcome him back with open arms. But he wasn't sure if he was ready for that. No matter what brave things he had done, he had made mistakes as well – mistakes that still made him feel that maybe he could still turn out to be like his father. He couldn't talk to anyone until he had figured himself out first. And even if he were to go back to his old friends, what could he possibly say to them? Could anything repair the damage that had been done?

Ryan tried to put those thoughts out of his head as he walked down the left hand aisle towards the stage. He usually came here if he needed to think or if he just wasn't having a good day. But on that afternoon, he had come to the theater to… _to what?_ He found himself repeating the question in his head. He was having a decent day, and he really didn't need to think; he had been doing enough thinking lately to last him a lifetime. _'Maybe,'_ he thought. _'I just need a comforting place to __not__ think. I don't want to worry or question myself about anything. I just need some down time to let my mind wander where it pleases before I go back to the real world.'_

He climbed the stairs to the stage and sat down at the piano bench, simply staring at it for a moment. He lifted his right hand, while his left hand was currently disabled in its cast and sling, and allowed his fingers to glide up and down the keys as they would. As a result, a simple yet lovely melody began to flow from the inner sections of the beautiful instrument. The music drifted from the stage, filling the entire room with notes that all seemed to fit together at exactly the right places. It filled up the empty seats with a hypothetical fullness and it flooded up the aisles until it reached the very back of the theater, where a still-bruised up Hispanic girl stood watching in the shadows.

She hadn't meant to come here, but catching a glimpse of her ex-boyfriend walking past her in the hall intrigued her to follow and see where he eventually ran away to. Now that she was here, she wasn't sure if she should leave or stay to enjoy the pleasing sounds that reached her ears clearly, even from this distance. As the melody continued, she could almost feel it wrap around her body and surround her lovingly. She let her eyes close as she leaned against the wall of the theater, and a calm smile crossed over her features. Maybe Ryan didn't know that she was here, or maybe he did, but either way it almost seemed like this melody was meant for her. And seconds later, when the boy began to sing, she knew that she was right.

"_Stab my heart and hope I die_

_Stick a needle in my eye_

_Wish upon a shooting star_

_That I might wake with more than scars_

_She was the one I leaned upon_

_Though for her I have tried to be strong_

_But you showed unexpectedly_

_Of all the things I would never see_

_Nothing could prepare me for your horrible views_

_Yet looking back now I should have seen the clues"_

Gabriella knew that the _safe_ thing to do would be to leave right now, but she knew she wasn't heading for the exit when her feet began to move involuntarily. Somehow she found herself growing closer and closer to the stage, but she was still slow in doing so due to her injuries. The closer she got, the more she realized that she had absolutely no idea what she would say or do once she arrived. But, for once, her realizations didn't cause her to stop or even hesitate in her walk down the right hand aisle. She had to face him sometime. Even after she had broken up with him, he had saved her in her time of need and she couldn't continue going along as if he was of no importance.

"_Stab my heart and hope I die_

_Stick a needle in my eye_

_Wish upon a shooting star_

_That I might wake with more than scars_

_I know destroying isn't joy_

_But either way I'll be your toy_

_You stole my heart; I won't take it back_

_It belongs to you and I'll never change that_

_Nothing could prepare me for your horrible views_

_Yet looking back now I should have seen the clues_

_Stab my heart and hope I die_

_Stick a needle in my eye_

_Wish upon a shooting star_

_That I might wake with more than scars_

_You are the one for me_

_You are the only one for me_

_Baby, can't you see..."_

By the time Ryan had reached the stopping point of his song, Gabriella was standing silently a few feet behind him, picking nervously at a hangnail on her forefinger. As the last few notes echoed throughout the room, Ryan let his hand fall from the piano and into his lap. He didn't look around or move in any way; he just sat there. Gabriella had to use all of her strength to find her voice.

"That was beautiful," she said softly, hoping not to startle him. He didn't; he already knew that she was standing behind him. That's why he hadn't moved before, but he stood now that she had said something. Still, he didn't look near her. He looked off to the side and walked to the steps opposite of where Gabriella had come up from and picked up his book bag from where he had left it.

Gabriella frowned and was tempted to just leave without another word, but she knew that she had to do the right thing so that she wouldn't have to live the rest of her life in misery because she hadn't been able to say the things she wanted. This was her last chance; if she left him now then she would only be driven back to the hotel, where she would get her things and prepare for her departure. She and her aunt had to be at the airport in three hours to catch their flight to Colorado. If she didn't try to talk to Ryan now, she knew she may never get the chance to again. So she forced herself to walk over to the boy, who had sat down on the edge of the stage and was digging with one arm through his bag. She sat down, carefully as not to hurt herself, next to him and stared at him, though he refused to look up from his bag.

"Where did you learn that song from?" she asked, still in a soft voice, as she tried to make small talk. Ryan shrugged, making sure his eyes stayed focused inside of his bag and that they didn't look up to meet the girl's.

"I made it up," he mumbled, almost inaudibly. Gabriella continued to stare at him, hoping that he'd elaborate or at least say something else to her. He didn't, so she tried again.

"You made it up? Just now?" she prodded, urging him to say more. He nodded without a word, showing that her attempts were even more unsuccessful than the last. It set her back somewhat, but she still didn't give up.

"Well, like I said before, it was beautiful. And I don't just mean the melody, even though that was beautiful as well. But I'm talking about the lyrics." No comment. "They sounded so honest, like they really came from your heart. Did you write it about something in particular, or _someone_?" she asked a little too forcefully. She suddenly realized that she had gradually begun leaning towards him as she talked, and that she was now not even five inches from his face. And though he continued to refuse looking anywhere near her, she sensed that Ryan noticed the same fact. She was even more convinced when, seconds later, he mumbled a quick, "I've got to get going," and hopped off the stage to the floor below. This caused her to huff in exasperation. She was _not_ going to just let him go like that.

"Damn it, Ryan, why are you avoiding me?!" she yelled to her own surprise. Her voice had caused the boy to turn around and look over to her, meeting her eyes for the first time. But he said nothing; he only stared blankly, with no emotion whatsoever. Gabriella suddenly felt intimidated under the intense gaze of his brilliant blue eyes. Still, she found the strength to slide, slowly, off the stage and walk over to where Ryan stood at the foot of the aisle. After a moment, it was clear that he wasn't going to say anything to her yet, so Gabriella would have to be the one to talk again if she was going to get anywhere. And if she had any chance of getting through to him, she would have to cut the small talk and just get straight to the point. She cleared her throat, anticipating her words and thoughts, and then began speaking – almost rambling – with a nervous quaver to her voice as she tried to keep steady eye contact.

"Ryan, there's something I need to talk to you about. I know we've both been avoiding each other since the other day, but I have to say what I need to say to you so that I don't regret it later, because I've got a flight in three hours to go to my new home in Colorado; I don't know if you knew that but it's true. So that's why I came here, because I can't leave without telling you what you need to know and you telling me what I need to know, because there's things that we need to talk about." She paused momentarily, seeing if Ryan would say anything. He didn't, so she continued on with the same voice.

"Okay, so… I suppose… I mean, maybe… No – not maybe. Okay, the thing is, I was wrong, Ryan. It's kinda hard to admit that kind of stuff, but it's true. I was 100 percent, absolutely, positively _wrong_ when… when I said that you were turning into your father. Your father… really hurt me." She sniffled with a fleeting memory of the other day, but still continued on hurriedly so that it was almost as if she hadn't even stopped. "He hurt me, and I will be scarred for the rest of my life. But you were the one to come and save me, well, you _and_ Troy, but it was you first, but that's not the point because what I was _going_ to say is that I know that you would never do to anyone what he did to me, and after I realized that was when I realized all of the _other _ways that you're not like your father, and that's when I knew that I was wrong." She hesitated again and hoped that Ryan would talk this time. He continued to stay silent, so she took a deep breath and spoke again.

"Look, when I broke up with you on Monday… maybe… I made a mistake." No comment. "Okay, I made a _huge_ mistake, and I don't mean to throw the blame around, because I _was_ the one who did it, but you can't be completely mad at me about it. I mean, I was still completely in shock of witnessing my mother's death when Troy started talking about you; it's only natural that I would listen to what he was saying and absorb it. But I shouldn't have. I really, really shouldn't have, especially because he was wrong. And it was wrong of _me_ to have listened to another guy's belittling of you, and I should never have broken up with you based off of someone else's words. I should have used my own head, or at the very least I should have talked it through with you. Ryan, I really don't like us not being together; and I especially don't like us ignoring each other like we have been almost all week. I would understand if you hated me, but… I'm afraid to even say this, because I lose no matter what, but… I still want to be with you." Silence, and the same blank stare. She sighed again, this time much more sadly than the last.

"I guess I shouldn't have expected you to forgive me so easily," she said quietly, taking her eyes away from his and looking down to her feet instead. She didn't want him to see her sad, pathetic face. "But at least now I know that I tried, and that I talked to you, and I won't have to go off thinking that I was a coward. If you think I've done anything wrong to you, then I apologize profusely. And I suppose that it's all I can do if you still have bad feelings towards me. So… I'll leave you now, then. Goodbye, Ryan… for good, I guess." She glanced up to his eyes one last time before she stepped around him and walked up the aisle towards the back of the theater with a heavy heart. She had truly hoped for forgiveness, but there wasn't anything else to do short of getting on her knees and begging with tears. But she preferred to leave with some shred of dignity.

"Gabriella, wait," Ryan suddenly called out at the instant she reached the end of the aisle. Her heart quickened at his voice, sensing there was hope for her yet. She stopped and turned around as he jogged the length of the aisle and came to her. His eyes started to show some bit of emotion as he looked into hers seriously. "Gabi… I'm glad that you came here and told me how you were feeling and what you were thinking. It shows how strong a person you are that you would do that, and I respect that." But the conversation had turned around. Now Gabriella was the one with the blank stare and Ryan was the one who was starting to feel a little intimidated by her gaze and by the fact that he had to share his thoughts. But if Gabriella could do it, then he could do it too.

"I'm going to be honest with you, because I realize how honest you have been with me. The truth is, you really hurt me. On Monday, that is, when you dumped me. You truly broke my heart. I know that we had only been dating a few days, but I really, sincerely cared about you. The fact that you were breaking up with me was hard enough, but to say that I was exactly like my _father_ was… Well, it felt like a million knives slicing through my heart," he said, quoting her words from the week before. "I know I've never told you this, but I've liked you ever since you moved to East High. I thought you were off limits because you were with Troy, and so I never even tried to talk to you because I knew I would only fall harder for you and it would only end in pain. But then you broke up with Troy, and it was almost like fate led me to you. When you agreed to be my girlfriend, I was happier than I had been through most of my life. To be dating you… it was like heaven. But the way I felt Monday night had to have been worse than hell. Yes, I'll admit that I made mistakes, and that I should have had to pay for them. Not being able to be with you is probably the worst inventible punishment that I will ever know. This week that I've been alone… I know it may sound pathetic or cheesy, but it's like I'm not even a whole person without you. Still, I'm afraid to be with you. I mean, what if Troy was right? What if something happens and I go back to alcohol? What if I am just like my father?"

"You're not!" Gabriella said insistently. As he had talked, her appearance had changed from indifferent to caring and sympathetic. His thoughts had touched her, and she almost felt as if they were coming back to the same level. When he gave her a doubtful look, she found herself reaching up with both hands and cupping his scarred face in her palms. "Ryan, I know you. Maybe some of the things you've done in the past are similar to your father's actions, but _you are not your father_. You are your own individual person, and as long as you don't want to be like your father then you won't be like your father. You are _not_ Michael Evans. You are Ryan Evans, who is completely different from Michael Evans, and… I love you." Ryan stared at her, stunned at her words, for a moment, and then his face entirely softened as he put both his arms around her – although it was awkward with his cast – and held her close to him.

Gabriella fell into his embrace, and for a few minutes she didn't move. She closed her eyes in that time and noted every single thing that she loved and had missed over the days that they weren't together. His fresh scent, the pattern of his breathing, his clean and fashionable clothes that felt so comfortably soft against her skin, the way that their bodies seemed to fit together in a way too perfect for words… And as the list grew longer in her head, there was one thing that stuck out in her head that she both loved and missed, and yet it was missing from this moment. She didn't know if Ryan shared her feelings on it, or if it was even appropriate, but neither of those affected her much. _'Why not?'_ was her only thought as she lifted her head from where it rested against his chest and looked deep into his eyes. She only held eye contact long enough for him to, hopefully, understand what she was thinking before she moved her face closer and touched her lips softly to his.

She kissed him uneasily, because she was still unsure of what he wanted and the depth of his feeling for her. After all, he hadn't actually said anything when she told him that she still loved him. She hadn't needed to worry, though, because the blonde's feelings for her hadn't changed at all either. He pressed his lips back against hers more powerfully than she had, telling her of the fact through his kiss. She glided her hands up his torso from around his waist and snaked her arms around his neck. She played gently with his hair as she deepened the kiss and he slid the hand of his undamaged arm down her back and to her hip. He pulled her even closer in to him, feeling a need for her body. She parted her lips slightly at the right time to allow his skilled tongue to slip into her mouth and explore every area that he had been deprived of for the few days apart that had felt to them like years.

She moaned softly from her throat as he shifted and pressed his body against hers, sandwiching her between him and the theater wall. He kissed her voraciously as he sneaked his hand from her hip up beneath the loose cloth of her white halter top. She shivered in delight at the touch of his warm, strong hand across her flat stomach and returned his unappeasable kisses with equal fervor. He abruptly broke away from her lips trailed kisses down to the bottom of her neck, where he touched his teeth to her skin gently and sucked forcefully enough to show the passion but still carefully enough to not hurt her. She hummed a note of approval and tilted her head back to touch the wall. Her eyes felt heavy as she sank down to the floor in a sitting position, Ryan following her down and never taking his lips away from her. She relaxed and allowed him to do his work as he kissed every inch of her body that he could without physically removing her clothes. She smiled softly, her eyes widening in a good kind of surprise every time he kissed a weak spot. _'God, I'm going to miss this when I go to Colorado…'_ she thought without immediately realizing it.

Once it hit her, she gasped in a troubled sort of way. Ryan immediately pulled his mouth away from her body and looked up to her worriedly. She frowned a bit from a combination of her thoughts and the fact that he had stopped kissing her. "I have a flight in less than three hours," she whispered with regret, breathing heavily. He let out an equally heavy sigh and rested his head against hers. Even under this momentary breather, he let his hand lie on her leg and ran his thumb along the inside of her upper thigh. Her heart pounded even harder at his touch and she tried to keep her head.

"How long can we stay together, then?" he asked in a low voice, staring deeply into her eyes. She shook her head in as small a movement as she could manage, feeling that the less she moved the less it would affect the short amount of time they had left.

"I don't know. _Maybe_ an hour, but I can't even guarantee you that," she said quietly with an apologetic tone, saying with the sound of her voice that she would do anything to stay with him longer if she had been given the chance.

"I need more time with you than that," he said. He kissed her lips tenderly, breaking contact from her lips only slightly every few seconds to mumble sweet words to her before returning to her lips once more. She wanted to smile from the things he said, but the feeling in the pit of her stomach reminded her that she had to leave this guy that she loved and prevented her from doing so. She would have been perfectly content to stay there in that theater with him for all eternity, but after a mere ten minutes had passed her phone's ringtone blared through the empty room. She had to reach awkwardly into her back pocket to answer before she missed it, in case it was an important call. Ryan, on the other hand, didn't seem to care about it and hardly seemed to even notice it. As Gabriella opened the phone and held it to her ear, he simply transferred his lips back down to her neck. It made it very difficult for the girl to talk to the person on the other end of the line.

"Hello?... Oh, hi Aunt Shirley… No, I'm still inside the school; I-" She let out a moan unintentionally as a result of Ryan's kisses and she slapped her hand over her mouth. She felt the boy grinning against her skin. "No, Auntie, that was nothing… What do you mean, 'you heard a noise?' I didn't hear anything… What was that? … Mmm…" She ran her fingers through Ryan's hair and grasped the blonde locks, trying not to cry out again. "Yeah, I'm just cleaning out my locker and stuff; I'll be out soon… In the front parking lot? … Okay, I'll see you in a little bit… Okay, bye." She quickly hung up her phone, throwing it uncaringly to the side, and pulled lightly on the boy's hair. "Thanks a lot; you almost got me in trouble," she said half-jokingly. "My Aunt is strictly against relationships. I don't think she's ever had a boyfriend in her entire life." Ryan hummed into her skin as a response, wrapping his arm around her waist. Gabriella sighed, hating that she had to follow her head instead of her heart.

"Ryan, I told her that I was going to be out soon. Apparently she has something important to talk to me about and she wants me out there as soon as possible." She put her hand to his chest and gently pushed his body away from hers in a reluctant manner. He looked into her eyes unhappily, but he obliged to what had to be done. Standing, he held his hand out to her and helped her rise slowly to disturb her many bruises as little as possible. Once they were both up, they held each other's hands, entwining their fingers as they walked out of the theater exit. Back out in the empty hallway, Ryan looked over to Gabriella and was worried when he saw that she was crying softly. He put his hand on her shoulder, rubbing her arm as comfortingly as possible.

"Gabriella, what's wrong?" he asked with concern. His first thought was that he shouldn't have kissed her so fervently, especially with the fact that his own father had raped her only three days before. He thought that perhaps she had purely been putting on a brave act by coming back to school so quickly after the attack, and that inside maybe she was still emotionally unstable from what had happened. He pulled his hand away from her skin at thinking these things, but his notions were proved wrong when Gabriella stepped closer to him and threw her arms around his waist. Still unsure of what was bothering her, but reassured that it wasn't anything that he had done, he rubbed her back soothingly with his good hand and kissed the top of her head.

"I don't want to move to Colorado, Ryan; I don't want to lose you," she wept, sniffling as she held the boy tighter. He sighed, trying to think of something to say to allay her worries. He didn't want to lose her either, but he couldn't think of any way that they could possibly stay together. Still, maybe some wondrous thing would happen and somehow she wouldn't be taken away from him. It couldn't hurt much more to wish for the best, and so he told her the first thing that came to his mind.

"Don't worry, Gabi. You won't lose me, not for anything in the world. I love you and I can promise you that I'll never leave you. If I figure out anything I can do to keep you here, I swear that I'll do anything it takes to do it." He knew it was unlikely that anything would happen, but impossible things had happened before. He could only hope for a miracle.

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When Ryan and Gabriella reached the front parking lot of the school, they were surprised to see that Shirley Montez was not waiting for her niece alone. Talking to her were Jack and Alice Bolton. Sitting on the curb of the sidewalk next to the adults was young Candi Bolton, and sitting on the hood of Shirley's car was none other than Troy Bolton himself. He smiled when he saw the couple come out of the school and waved to them. Out of confusion, neither of them waved back, but Troy didn't seem to notice. He motioned for them to come over to where the group was, and they were too puzzled to do anything but do as he said.

When they arrived, everyone looked over at them with a smile; that is, everyone except for Candi, who looked up at them almost expressionlessly but with a glimmer of wariness. The only reason she wasn't smiling was that she knew as much about what was going on as Ryan and Gabriella did, which was nothing. But the others smiled at them with that type of smile that people use when they have a secret to tell and they know that the person they're talking to doesn't have a clue about what's coming. Ryan and Gabriella looked at each other as if to say, "I have no idea what's going on either." The others also exchanged glances, and somehow they silently came to the conclusion that Troy would be their spokesperson. He stepped forward, still holding the same ridiculous smile, and stood in front of Gabriella.

"Hey, Gabi, can I talk to you?" he asked. She raised one eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest. This had been the first time that either of them had talked to each other ever since Gabriella had figured out that he had been wrong about Ryan and that he had pretty much screwed everything up in the process of trying to do what was "best" for her.

"I believe you're talking to me now," she said coldly. She made herself sound angrier at him than she truly was. She held a bit of a grudge toward him, but for the most part she had forgiven him. However, she hadn't let him know yet because she thought he deserved to be punished a bit for it, even if she _had_ forgiven him. After all, she knew that Troy wasn't the brightest crayon in the box and he wouldn't figure out that she wasn't really as mad as she appeared until she told him so.

"You're still mad at me, aren't you?" Troy asked stupidly. Gabriella didn't say anything but narrowed her eyes at him to intimidate him and make him think that she was furious with him. He cringed and held his hands out as he started into his apology.

"Look, I'm really, _really_ sorry. And I mean that to both of you," he said, looking over to Ryan. "I shouldn't have messed up your relationship by saying things that I later realized weren't true. I feel really bad that I probably made things worse by what I've done, but I can't change anything I've done now. But you two have to forgive me because I have something really important to talk to you about and I can't talk to you if you hate me." He pouted at Gabriella and gave her puppy dog eyes. It was enough to break the fake front she had put on and bring a smile to her face.

"Troy, I've already forgiven you," she laughed. "I just thought it'd be fun to torture you a little for what you did. I'm not _really_ mad at you anymore, and I most certainly don't hate you. But I can only speak for myself; I can't speak for Ryan." They both looked to the blonde boy at her side, who still had a bit of a glare on his face as he looked at Troy.

"What's the important thing that you have to tell us?" he asked levelly, not hinting at whether he was acting mad or if he was truly mad. Troy smiled again and pulled him over to the side, muttering something quietly to him. Ryan's face lit up with happiness; he said something back to Troy and then they high-fived as if they had been best friends their whole lives. Gabriella watched them with her eyebrows scrunched and her mouth hanging open in lack of knowledge and understanding. As the boys returned to her, she felt herself growing impatient wondering what the big secret was.

"Gabriella, can I ask you a question?" Troy asked her. This time she didn't answer with a sassy remark. She felt that it would just elongate the amount of time it would take for someone to tell her this secret, and she didn't exactly have all the time in the world to be playing guessing games.

"Yeah, sure; you can ask me anything," she said. She didn't have any idea what he was possibly going to ask her, but her mind was still wondering why he was even here in the first place. After all, her aunt had told her to come out to the parking lot so that _she_ could talk to her about something important, not so that _Troy Bolton_ could talk to her about something important. And yet her aunt seemed to be fine with Troy being the one to talk to her, so she listened intently to his question that ended up shocking her more than she would have thought.

"Do you love me?"

_Do you love me?_ That was Troy's question, and it was the farthest thing from anything that Gabriella could have expected. Her eyes widened in disbelief of what he had said. She looked over to Ryan, but he seemed unfazed by what Troy had asked. She looked around to everyone else, but it seemed that she was the only one who was bothered by what he had said. _'Did I hear him wrong?'_ she wondered, but she knew she had heard him perfectly clear. But she still wanted clarification.

"Excuse me?" she asked. Troy chuckled and took her hands into his.

"Do you love me?" he repeated. "Gabi, I told you the other day on the phone that I loved you, and I meant it, and I still mean it now. I love you and I want to know if you love me too." Gabriella's mouth fell open, gaping, and she wondered why no one else was freaking out about this. _'Troy and I broke up. I'm with Ryan now. Everyone knows that; why do they all seem so calm and happy?'_

"Troy… you _can't_ love me," she insisted, shaking her head. "We broke up almost two weeks ago; I thought you had moved on…" She became even more confused when Troy started laughing with amusement. He squeezed her hands and moved a bit closer to her.

"No, no, Gabriella. We've both moved on, and we're just friends now, right?" he asked. She nodded slowly, having no idea what was even going on. "Gabi, I don't mean that I love you the same way that I used to love you, or the way that Ryan loves you now. And I don't love you the way that I still love Sharpay, even though I'm pretty sure she's still mad at me. I love you like… well, like the way that Ryan and Sharpay love each other, and the way that I love Candi. I love you like a _sister_, Gabriella, and I want to know if you love me like a _brother_." Gabriella's eyes flashed as she comprehended what Troy's question meant, and she smiled.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, feeling kind of stupid for not figuring it out sooner. "Yeah, Troy. I mean, you were the first person I met that lived here, and that was before I actually even moved here. I do feel really close to you, and I _do_ love you, like a brother." Troy continued to laugh as he pulled her into his arms and hugged her.

"Oh, Gabi, did you think that I was in _love _with you romantically since I talked to you Tuesday morning?" he asked incredulously, as if it were the most hilarious thing he had ever heard. Gabriella pulled away from him and pouted playfully.

"Hey, don't act like it's such an impossible thing," she said, stepping back and looping her arm through Ryan's. But she was still kind of confused "So is that it, then? Is that the important thing that you had to talk to me about?" It didn't seem like such an important thing for Troy's family to have all come to the school for, although Coach Bolton had already been there anyway. But Troy shook his head.

"No, that's just something I needed to know to make sure that the important thing is going to work out for us." He turned around to face his mom and gestured his hand to the Hispanic girl. "Mom, I think that you should ask her. After all, it was your idea in the first place." Alice nodded and traded places with her son, now standing enthusiastically in front of the girl. Gabriella could see that Troy's mother held a thick stack of papers in her hands, and she felt that she was getting more and more perplexed rather than getting any more understanding.

"Gabriella," Alice started, smiling brightly at the girl. "Ever since the day I met you after you started dating Troy, I knew that you were one of the sweetest teenage girls I had ever met. You always had the nicest personality and the brightest smile that I had ever seen in any friend of Troy's, and you had a _very_ positive influence on him as well. As time went on, I couldn't help but sometimes think of you as a daughter. Not as a daughter-_in-law_, because I certainly wouldn't have wanted my son rushing into marriage, but just as the kind of girl that I've always wanted a daughter to grow up to be." She smiled down at Candi, who was looking at them both from the curb. "And you, Candi, are a remarkable young lady as well, and you're going to grow up to be another one of the sweetest girls I have ever met." Candi smiled back at them, and Troy's mother turned back to Gabriella and continued on. "As I was saying, I couldn't help but think of you as a daughter. You seemed to fit in so well here in Albuquerque, and so I took comfort in the fact that you would always be here and you would be watching out for Troy at school anytime that his father can't be around. After all, a mother only wants what's best for her son. But when I found out that you were going to be moving, it made me sad, and it made me even sadder to see that Troy was sad because, as he said, he loves you like a sister. So one day when Troy was talking to me about it, I was just rambling and on a whim I said that I wished I could adopt you into our family to keep you here in Albuquerque. And Troy thought it was a great idea." Gabriella had an empty look on her face.

"You want… to _adopt_ me?" she asked, blinking. Alice nodded, and as Gabriella looked behind her she saw Troy and his father nodding as well. Then she looked over to her aunt, who hadn't said anything the whole time. "Aunt Shirley? Are you okay with this?" Her aunt smiled, which was a sight that Gabriella found rare from memories of family reunions.

"If it's something that you want to do, then I am perfectly fine with it. Besides, I hardly see the good in ripping you away from this place and the friends that you love just to drag you off with me to a place that you'd probably never like and people you'd probably never get along with. I live in a fairly elderly town, with very few young people, and I like it there. But you have a life here, and if this family is willing to take you in with them then I have no objections." Gabriella's face broke out into smiles, and she ran over to her aunt and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you so much, Aunt Shirley," she whispered before turning back to the Boltons and Ryan, who were all looking at her expectantly. She beamed at them. "Alright, I'll do it. I want to be adopted and stay here in Albuquerque forever!" She ran back to them, hugging Alice first, the woman who had thought up this great idea and had told her she was like a daughter to her. Candi stood and walked over, hugging Gabriella with a smile on her face.

"I've always wanted a big sister," she said. Gabriella laughed, kneeling to the girl's height and nodded.

"I've always wanted a little sister," she agreed before standing back up and looking gratefully to Troy, who stood next to her. "And I've always wanted a big brother, too." She hugged him tightly and he hugged her back, thrilled that Gabriella had agreed to their idea. Coach Bolton came over then and put his arms around his wife, both of his biological children, and his soon-to-be adopted daughter. She laughed again and hugged her new father, feeling a sense of wholeness at the thought of having a family. She was so caught up in the moment that she almost forgot about her boyfriend, who was standing on the outside of her group. Luckily, her new older brother was looking out for her.

"So, Mom and Dad," Troy said loudly and suddenly, pulling the group apart a bit. "We should probably work on filling out those adoption papers. How about us three and Candi go in the car and take a look at them while Gabriella stays out here?" Troy's parents looked over to where Ryan was standing and caught the drift. Candi didn't.

"Why do we have to go in the car…?" she protested as her parents dragged her towards the vehicle. Troy winked at Gabriella and followed the rest of his family. Gabriella's aunt had already gotten back into her car and driven away, so now it was just the Hispanic brainiac girl and the blonde drama boy. She stared at him for a moment and then ran towards him and leapt into his arms – or rather, _arm_, since the other was in a cast. She beamed still as she kissed him passionately, and she was unbelievably grateful for her good luck. As for him, he believed that a true _miracle_ had happened, just as he had hoped for. He pulled away from her momentarily, looking affectionately into her eyes as he stroked her wavy brown hair.

"It looks to me like everything's perfect now," he said, smiling at her. She smiled back, but she shook her head.

"Not quite." Reaching her hand up, she took him by the wrist and pulled him over to the Boltons' car. She poked her head in the back door and smiled slyly at her new bother. "Troy, come with us." He didn't seem to comprehend what she wanted, but he got out of the car anyways. Gabriella took his wrist as well and continued on to pull both boys towards Ryan's car that she could see on the other side of the lot. When they arrived, Ryan got in the driver's seat, Gabriella in the passenger's seat, and Troy in the back.

"Where exactly are we going?" Troy asked, looking to Ryan. Ryan didn't know either, so he looked over to Gabriella, who gave them both a playful look.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked, as if it should be. "We're going to the hospital, of course! My life is starting to feel perfect, but I know that Sharpay is an important person to both of you. So I can't be happy until all _four_ of us are fine and on good terms with each other." And Gabriella meant every word that she said. Sharpay was the sister of her love, and the love of her brother. She had to make peace with Sharpay – once and for all – and she was sure that the blonde girl would be feeling that her life was as perfect as Gabriella's currently was by the end of the day. She would make sure of it.

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**Sodagirl Says**: Okay, yeah, I know that the ending of that chapter was a little choppy, but it wasn't originally supposed to be the end of the chapter and I really couldn't think of anything else to say. So, yeah, forgive me for that, also because I'm writing this at like 3:35 AM (even though I'm not actually posting it until later in the day) and I've been sitting in this same spot and position on my bed since, like, 11 PM and so I just needed to end this chapter. :P

Oh my gosh I'm so tired! _–yawns–_ I seriously did not even mean to make that chapter that long. But it just kept growing and growing and growing, and somehow it ended up being a lot longer than I meant for it to be. I actually think this might be my longest chapter, and that's not even what I expected because… I don't know; I just didn't expect it to end up this long. But it did. I don't think that's a problem for anyone, though. :P But anyway, yeah, leave your nice reviews and the next chapter will be all focusing around Sharpay and Troypay, mmkay? Ooh, that rhymed! Mmkay, Sharpay, Troypay... :P Anywho, I'll update as soon as possible. Love to all!


	23. Making Things Right For Sharpay

**Flame of my Heart  
****by hotsodagirl**

**Summary:** A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre:** Romance/Drama

**Rating:** T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says**: Okay, yeah, I _know_ I said that I'd update on Sunday and, as you can clearly see, it's not Sunday. But this chapter gave me bunches of trouble for some reason and so it took me a little longer to write. And then I felt bad because this chapter isn't nearly as long as the last so I was like, _I made them wait all this time and then the chapter isn't even close to being as long as the last!_ ( But hopefully you all can forgive me for this being late and on the short-ish side.

So by now I'm sure you all know that Troypay is coming back in this chapter. But I feel like I need to apologize about it. Like, yeah, they're still getting back together, but their make-up scene was so much shorter and more rushed than the Ryella make-up scene in the last one. But I promise you all a lot more Troypay after this. Okay, so for the rest of the story it'll probably be just as much Ryella as Troypay, but in the sequel there is actually going to be so much more Troypay than Ryella. Like, TONS more, so don't be too mad at me. I try :)

Okay, so it's Wednesday, and I had originally planned to finish this thing on Thursday. Well, you know what? I'm still going to ;) The final chapters aren't quite finished, but I'm getting there and I will finish them tonight and have them up tomorrow! Yay me! ;D So for now, just read this, review it, and come back tomorrow for the finale! Love to all!

**Chapter 23: Making Things Right For Sharpay**

"You mean to tell me that you people are calling this stuff… _food_?!" Sharpay screeched from where she lied in her hospital bed. Much to the panic of the nutrition lady, the blonde patient shoved her plastic meal tray away from her and didn't try to catch it as it toppled to the floor. Still, once it had clattered and spilled spaghetti sauce all over the clean tile, she pointed down to it with an icy glare. "Get the housekeeper to come clean that up, and _you_ go get me fresh food that doesn't look like it's been frozen, defrosted, and left out in the heat all day!" The nutritionist only stared at her with wide eyes, and Sharpay smacked her hand against the bedside table. "NOW!!!" With that order, the woman promptly disappeared through the door in which she had come in. The blonde huffed and picked up the fashion magazine that she had laid in her lap when the woman had come in only seconds before.

"It's so hard to find good help these days," she said knowingly, glancing over briefly to her mother who sat in the chair next to the bed. Claire nodded back at the girl before picking back up her own fashion magazine and flipping it open to the middle. She had offered to bribe the hospital with as much money as it would take to get her daughter some _quality_ service in this 'ratty old place,' as she had called it, but the doctors had refused. "And I thought that money could solve any problem," Sharpay was saying concurrently with her mother's thoughts. "After all, you always sent me off shopping when I was having a bad day. Not to mention that Taylor's family accepted my money so they're not pressing charges against anyone for what Ryan and Gabriella did at her party, and neither of them have to go to jail because we paid the fine excessively, _and_ Daddy's not getting out of jail because we didn't pay his bail money or try to get him a good lawyer. Mother, if money can do all of that, then why can't it bring something good to this stupid, smelly hospital?!" The words were barely out of her mouth when she heard the door to her room open. Assuming it was the housekeeper, she continued to hold the magazine firmly in front of her face with one hand and pointed at the mess on the floor with the other.

"Clean up that _disgusting_ spaghetti dinner right now," she ordered, keeping her eyes in the pages of the magazine. "Oh, and while you're at it, bring me some new towels. I didn't use the ones you brought this morning because there was a loose thread in the corner of one of them, and _you know_ I can't use defective towels. Also, see if you can bring me some bath beads. I especially like the cucumber melon scent, but make sure that you buy from an expensive store or else it just won't work. And see to it that you people are more prompt with your duties, or else I'm going to have to complain to the… the _head person_ who handles your paychecks." She nodded in satisfaction, but then abruptly stopped and frowned when she didn't see anyone cleaning in her peripheral vision. She growled and slammed her magazine down next to her, looking over in the direction of the door. "I _said_…" Her mouth fell open and she gasped when she saw neither the housekeeper nor the nutritionist, but instead three very familiar friends.

"Wow, Sharpay," Gabriella said with an amused look on her face. "You're really giving these people a run for their money, aren't you?" Ryan smiled from her left and Troy winked at the blonde from her right. Sharpay could only stare at the trio for a few seconds, and then she inhaled deeply at let out a happy, ear-shattering scream. Rolling out of the bed and to her feet, she stumbled over to the group with a muttered, "Owie, owie, owie…" By the time she had reached them, the pain was too much for her and she toppled forward before she even realized what had happened. Luckily, both Troy and Ryan took a step towards her and caught her together in their arms.

"Shar, are you crazy?" Ryan asked as he gathered his sister with one arm, allowing Troy to still help him, and carried her back to her bed, setting her down gently. She didn't stay still or quiet for long, though, and she immediately started talking while Troy and Gabriella stood near the foot of the bed and Claire left the room for a moment to see where the housekeeper and nutritionist were.

"Yes, Ry, I am crazy. I'm _crazy_ from the fact that I've been stuck in this dump almost all week!" she exclaimed, hitting the bed rhythmically with the palms of her hands. She looked to all three of them, indignation apparent on her face. "And where have you been?! None of you have come to visit me since Tuesday! Ryan, you just _disappeared_ out of nowhere, and then I heard about what happened with Daddy… Oh, my gosh, Gabi! Are you okay? Oh, my goodness, I am _so sorry_ about what happened! I heard about the entire thing on the news, which is the _only_ way that I found out because none of you came to _see_ me! What's your problem?!" She batted Ryan lightly on the arm, meaning no harm. Still, she had accidentally hit him on one of his bruises, and he cringed from the momentary sting. Realizing what she had done, Sharpay threw her hands to her mouth and stared at him with apologetic eyes.

"Oh, my gosh, I'm _so sorry_," she cried, her voice muffled from behind her hands. He shook his head in reply, a forgiving smile on his face.

"No, no; it's fine. I know you didn't do it on purpose, and it only hurt for a second," he assured her, sitting next to her on the bed and stroking her blonde hair lightly. "I've missed you a lot, you know. I don't think we've ever been apart for more than maybe a day at a time." Sharpay nodded in agreement, looking vulnerably into her brother's eyes.

"I know. I guess I had taken your presence in my life for granted until I realized you were gone," she said as she moved over to make a bit more room for the boy but never looking away from him. "Ryan, what happened? It looked like things were maybe going to be okay when you left this room Monday night, but then the next morning everything had changed. Gabriella said the two of you had broken up, and then Troy said you were gone. You came to find me that afternoon, but even then nothing made sense. The nurses took me back to my room, and just when I thought things couldn't confuse me anymore I turned on the TV and saw a 'Breaking News' bulletin about how Daddy had attacked Gabriella and Taylor. I have been stressing about it all week, so _please_ explain everything to me. Starting with why the _hell_ you ever decided to listen to what _Troy Bolton_ had to say." She shot her ex-boyfriend an accusing glare as she spat his name venomously before looking back to her brother, who wasn't looking very confident in what he had to say.

"I don't know, Shar. Everything was just happening so fast. Do you realize that only two weeks ago we were still living in our own house? Things are moving so quickly; I guess I just got caught up in all the bad stuff that was going on." He shrugged as he broke contact from her eyes and stared through her window out into the distance. "But even when I had the time to sit down and think about it, the things that he said made sense. I drank more than once, I beat you up, and I tried to kill Troy after Gabi and I broke up. Don't you think that's starting to sound a whole lot like Dad?" Sharpay shook her head and took Ryan's chin in her hands, turning his face back to her with a serious look on her face.

"No, I don't think that sounds like Daddy. Sure, maybe you've had a few drinks before, but Daddy was an _alcoholic_. You're not to that point yet and I doubt you ever will be. And as far as that violent side of you goes, you only got really bad when you were under the influence. Ry, we've been through so much in these two weeks, and I know that you're not going back to alcohol again. Do you understand what I'm saying?" she asked with an expectant voice. Her brother nodded and moved her hands back down to her sides.

"Yeah, I understand you. I think I figured it out myself somewhere in the process of thinking by myself this whole week," he said, preparing to tell the girl about what had happened to him throughout the days they had been apart. "Whenever I left the Boltons' home on Monday, I wandered around town for a few good hours just thinking and wondering what the hell I'd gotten myself into. When it got close to dawn, I checked into the nearest motel spent the rest of the day alternating between trying to figure things out and falling into nightmares about what I might become. I kept dreaming that I was trying to kill you, Shar. I dreamt that we were back in our burning house, but I shoved you to the ground and let the flames engulf you. And I dreamt that we were at Gabriella's house, and I shot you with Dad's gun and I wouldn't stop even after you were helpless on the ground. I was scared to even come see you again because I thought that my dreams might come true."

"It was just your subconscious," Sharpay said, her chocolate eyes full of sympathy. "It was just because you had listened to stupid _Troy_, and then that combined with all the stuff that's happened recently… It didn't _mean_ anything, Ry. Do you really think that you would ever try to kill me, even if you were drunk?" The boy didn't move or even seem to react for a few seconds before he talked again.

"I honestly didn't know. I didn't know what to think, and I didn't know what to do… I was completely lost without you. Still, I didn't want to see you because I was afraid I would hurt you. But eventually, after the whole day of thinking and dreaming, I decided that I had to see you one more time. I thought that I'd go visit you in the hospital, say good-bye, and then leave and never try to talk to you again," he explained.

"And that's when you came and found me in the back of the hospital when I was trying to sneak out to find you," the girl said, knowing that it was the next part of the story. Ryan nodded to show that she was correct.

"Exactly. I didn't want to cause trouble, though, and I didn't want to get into any kind of violent situation, so when Troy showed up I ran off. But even then, I still felt like I needed to think about stuff, so I went to our alley – do you remember it? We used to always go there when we were younger when we decided we needed some time to be alone without Dad." Sharpay nodded in remembrance, and her brother continued on. "Well, I still go there every once in a while when I need to think, so I went there on Tuesday with the pure intention of sitting back by the dead end and contemplating everything that was happening to us. Except when I was about halfway down the alley, I heard screaming and crying and shouting so I ran down there and found Gabi and Taylor being attacked by Dad and two masked men. I knocked out the other men and was fighting Dad when Troy showed up and helped keep him down while the police arrived. When they showed up, they took Dad away and the ambulance took the four of us to the hospital." When her brother had paused from his story, the girl narrowed her eyes in confusion and tilted her head as she leaned closer to him.

"What ever happened to the two masked men?" she asked with unease. Ryan opened his mouth to answer, but then an equally confused look crossed over his face as he thought about it more. Sharpay tensed looked warily at him with slight fear in her eyes. "You don't know?" Her brother shook his head.

"No, I don't know, but you shouldn't worry about it. They were easy enough to knock out, and I'm sure they were just the henchmen type and no real threat to anyone." With this statement the girl relaxed a bit, although it was apparent that she was still a bit concerned.

"So, what happened after all of that?" she asked, urging him to continue on with his story.

"Well, Gabriella and I had the worst of the damage, but they were able to fix us up pretty quick and let us check out on Wednesday, although I still have to wear this cast for a while. I didn't talk to anyone else, though, so it's not like you were the only one who I stopped communicating with for a few days. I had to think things over some more." Sharpay rolled her eyes with a small smile on her face.

"God, Ryan, you seriously need to stop thinking so much," she said before sighing deeply and pausing for a few moments. "So… now what, then? I mean, what's going on more recently, and what made you all decide to come visit me just now?" Ryan chuckled and gestured to his girlfriend.

"It was all Gabriella's idea. We got back together earlier, and she thought that we should all come and see you since none of us have in a few days. She's been in the best mood since we worked out a way that she wouldn't have to move to Colorado." Sharpay smiled more brightly and looked over to the Hispanic girl.

"Really, Gabby? You're not moving?!" she asked excitedly. Gabriella laughed and shook her head.

"Nope, I'm staying right here in Albuquerque until I graduate," she said. Sharpay squealed as she squirmed around to the end of the bed and hugged the girl.

"I'm really happy for you, Gabby," she said wholeheartedly. "I mean, because you're staying _and_ because you and Ryan are back together. I've had some time of my own to think these past few days, what with being stuck in this boring, icky hospital room for days, and I really hope that we can have a do-over. I think we should start over, with no hard feelings towards each other for anything that we've done, and we can really be good friends." Gabriella beamed and hugged her new friend back.

"I think that's a great idea," she agreed. She was still smiling as she pulled away from the blonde and stood again in her original spot next to Troy. Looking over at him, she realized how silent he had been the whole time. Her eyes lit up as a devious look appeared on her face and her brain hatched an idea. She walked around to the other side of the boy, so that she was standing between where he stood and where Ryan sat, and then she took her boyfriend's unbroken arm gently and motioned for him to stand up. "Ryan, don't you think that we should go find your mom and see what's taking the hospital employees so long?" At first, the blonde boy looked confused, but he understood once his girlfriend jerked her head discreetly towards Troy and then to Sharpay.

"Oh, yes! Definitely!" he said in a loud, obvious voice. "I think that would be a wise thing to do. Troy, Sharpay, we'll be right back." He looped his arm around Gabriella's hips and the two hurried out of the room at sonic speed.

Once the blonde girl realized what had just happened and that she was alone with her ex-boyfriend, she folded her arms over her stomach and huffed in displeasure. The room had suddenly fallen into silence, making things too awkward for the girl. She huffed again, this time more loudly and a bit over-exaggerated, and unfolded her arms. She picked her magazine up from beside her and flipped it open randomly. The pages turned to an ad that featured a male and female who were embracing and looking into each other's eyes lovingly. Sharpay rolled her eyes at this and threw the magazine towards the window. She heard the satisfactory _splat_ as the sheets of paper hit the pane and fell to the tile floor, but it didn't calm her irritation in any way. Sitting still for a moment, she merely stared at the periodical on the ground and waited to hear if Troy would say anything. He was silent, and yet he stayed standing where he was and made no motion to leave. An angry scowl formed on her face as she turned her head swiftly to look at the boy.

"Talk, you stupid jock!" she yelled, throwing her hands up in the air. "Talk, or get out of my room; because I really don't need you in here staring at me like some kind of freak." Troy sighed and stepped closer to her at the head of the bed. He placed his hands awkwardly on the railing and tapped his thumbs nervously on the metal.

"Look, Shar, I-"

"_Pay!_" Sharpay immediately interrupted, glaring at him crossly. He cringed, realizing his mistake too late, but still nodded.

"Right. Shar-_Pay_. Sharpay." He looked down at her and she looked back up at him as if he were the stupidest thing she had ever seen and that he didn't even deserve her attention. Still, he was determined to make her think that he _did_ deserve her attention. "Sharpay, listen. I know that I really screwed up with this whole Ryan-thing, and I apologize to you with all of my heart. I never should have told Gabriella to break up with him, and I never should have made Ryan leave, and I _definitely_ never should have tried to separate you from your brother. I thought that I was doing what was best for you, but obviously I wasn't thinking clearly. Just because Ryan tried to hurt you once doesn't mean that it's going to become a regular thing, and I should have seen from the beginning that the only person who can really protect you is your brother." Sharpay raised her eyebrows in surprise. She honestly hadn't expected him to figure it all out and admit he was wrong so quickly. That just wasn't the kind of guy that she had always seen him as at school. _'Of course,'_ she reminded herself. _'Neither of us act much like how we really are when we're at school.'_ As she thought these things, Troy was still talking.

"Baby, listen. I messed up _a lot_, but I think that we can work this out if you'll just give me another chance. After all, you used to _hate_ Gabriella, and you're giving her a do-over." He kneeled down on the tile next to her, avoiding the spaghetti mess, and took both of her hands in his, looking deeply into her dark brown eyes. "Please, Sharpay, let me have a do-over, too. I promise I can prove to you that we were made for each other, and that we truly belong together. We can start over, with no more fights and no more jealousy. I want you to be my girl again, because I can't stand being without you. Please, baby, take me back," he begged with the most heart-breaking look in his eyes. Sharpay felt her shoulders sag and a compassionate smile come to her lips.

"Oh, Troy. You've admitted your mistakes and you're willing to try to improve yourself. How can I say no to that?" Troy's face lit up with anticipation.

"So… does that mean you want to try this thing again?" he asked hopefully. Sharpay grinned and licked her upper lip seductively before leaning over and pressed her lips firmly against his. He moved his hands away from hers, placing one behind her neck and the other one gently on her bandaged arm, and kissed her back for a moment before pulling away with a puzzled look on his face. "Wait… so is that a yes or a no?"

Sharpay rolled her eyes from his stupidity, but she wasn't angry or annoyed. She didn't say another word, but she still made it clear that the answer was a yes when she grabbed the fabric of his shirt collar and pulled him closer to her. She began to kiss him wildly, running her smooth, delicate hands all over his body. He stood, but kept his lips attached to hers with a powerful force, and climbed onto the bed with her. He moved atop of her and moved both hands to her shoulders, holding her close to his body as he untied the sleeves of her hospital gown. She broke into a satisfied grin against his mouth, her tongue dancing with his as she twisted about and helped Troy to remove the loose fabric from the upper part of her body. In turn, she pulled his t-shirt over his head and allowed her cold hands travel over his bare chest as she kissed him heatedly.

Eventually, she broke away from his lips and threw herself back against the slanted top of the bed, breathing heavily and looking suggestively at her boyfriend above her. He tried to hold her eye contact but repeatedly found himself looking down to her upper body. Finally, he leaned down and started at her neck, trailing kisses down until he reached his destination. Her mouth fell open from the sensation of his hot mouth on her cool, tender skin, and she trembled with pleasure. Her hands were pressed against his back, her nails digging into his skin, but he didn't seem to notice as he continued on skillfully.

And then suddenly, unexpectedly, there was a knock on the door, and a voice yelled, "Housekeeping!" from out in the hallway. Sharpay groaned pitifully, muttering, "Oh, _now_ they come," before calling out, "Just a minute!" She had to force her once-again boyfriend away from her body, and even once she had gotten him away from her he still tried to come back for more. She giggled but still continued to push his body away from hers each time he tried to come back.

"_Troy_," she whispered as definitely as possible when he wouldn't give up. "Troy, you have to stop. We can't do this now; we're in a _hospital_." Troy stopped, but frowned and pouted at her with puppy dog eyes in the hopes of her changing her mind. She shook her head with a grin on her face and continued to speak in a whisper. "No, I'm not going to change my mind. But… once I get out of this place, I promise I'll make it up to you. Would that be alright?"

After taking a moment to think, Troy nodded and gave his girlfriend a small peck before hopping down to the floor. He quickly threw his shirt back on and helped Sharpay re-tie her gown before jogging over to the door and allowing the Asian man to come in with his mop and cart of cleaning supplies. The blonde girl, having experienced a complete mood change from earlier on, smiled down at him as well as at the nutrition lady when she entered.

"Sharpay!" Troy called from where he stood by the door. He held his hand up at her and winked when she looked over to him. "I'm going to go figure out where your brother and Gabriella ran off to, okay? But I'll be right back." She nodded energetically at him, and he was about to turn to leave when she thought of something.

"Troy, wait!" she shouted. He looked to her in surprise at her voice and took a step back towards the bed. Sharpay put on her best repentant face to show the depth of her emotions as she spoke. "I just wanted to apologize to you for all the times that I've yelled or gotten mad at you over small stuff, and for all the mean things I've said to or about you. I have a short temper, but you know that I love you. Right?" He nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I love you too, babe." Her kisses were blown at Troy as he stepped out of the hospital room and turned to look for the two teenagers. However, he didn't have to search for very long, because Ryan and Gabriella were standing right outside the door watching for him expectantly.

"Soooo…?" Gabriella asked curiously. Troy walked over to the couple with a goofy grin on his face.

"Me and Sharpay are dating again," he said with a happy sort of relief. Gabriella clapped her hands in excitement and threw her arms around the boy, giving him a friendly hug.

"I am _so_ glad for you guys," she said, the beam of her smile lighting up the whole hallway. She stepped back from him and looked over to her boyfriend, who smiled at her and then looked to the boy in front of them. He then stepped towards him and took Troy by the shoulder, leading him a couple of feet away from Gabriella.

"Troy, there's something I need to tell you…" Ryan began. Troy held his hands out and shook his head.

"No need to apologize, dude," he said confidently. "You have nothing to be sorry for. If anything, I should be apologizing to you. I probably ruined a lot of stuff in your life, and you and the girls all have definite reasons to hate me. But since everyone is starting over, what do you say we forgive each other? You can come live with my family again if you want, and we can just forget about the bad things we've done. After all, we're dating each other's sisters. We'd only mess everything up if we stayed mad at each other, right?" Ryan nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. Well then, I guess that means you're forgiven. And thanks for letting me come back to your house, too, but…" Ryan smiled, trying his hardest to stifle his laughter. "That's not the thing that I was going to tell you." Troy looked confused, and the blonde was about to speak when the elevator behind them _ding_ed. Taylor and Chad stepped out and smiled at the two boys.

"Hey guys. We're coming to visit Sharpay," Taylor greeted, giving Troy a strange look but giving no explanation. "She's in room 411, right?" Ryan nodded and pointed to the open door. The girl proceeded on to the room, but Chad stopped in front of his best friend before going into the room and gave him an even stranger look.

"Dude, why are you wearing lip gloss?" he asked. Troy put his hand to his mouth and was horrified to feel the glossy liquid.

"Lip gloss…?" Troy repeated. He looked over at Ryan, who laughed as he motioned for Gabriella to come over.

"Yeah. It looks exactly like the expensive stuff Sharpay always wears. I was gonna tell you, but you interrupted me with that little speech about forgiveness," he said. Gabriella giggled when she saw her brother's face and attempted to wipe some of the gloss off with her sleeve. She succeeded in getting it halfway off before she gave up.

"That's all I can do," she said with a playful grin. "Hey, me and Ryan are going out for pizza. Do you want to come with us?" Troy shook his head and looked towards Sharpay's hospital room.

"Nah, I think I'm going to stay with my girlfriend for a while. I'll see you around, _Bolton_," he said jokingly to Gabriella. She shook her head with a laugh and then stepped into the elevator with her boyfriend, who put his hands on her hips and leaned back against the wall as the doors closed behind them. Troy merely chuckled and tried to get the rest of the lip gloss off of his face as he returned to his own girlfriend's room. Now, he _knew_ things were perfect. Life couldn't get better than this.

-------

**Sodagirl Says**: Yay, everyone's getting along again:D I'm really happy right now because I just finished this chapter like a couple of minutes ago. One of my friends was over yesterday and she's tons of fun and we were dancing a bunch and stuff so I didn't have time to work on it until just now. But I finished it and I'm getting online for my hour, and once I get off then I'm going to type up the rest of the story and get it up for ya'll tomorrow. Yay:D So review me and hurry back tomorrow!

Oh, and everyone go out and buy the _High School Musical 2_ Soundtrack if you can! I bought it yesterday and I am loving it. I can't wait for Friday! Support _High School Musical_:P Okay, I'll see you all tomorrow! Much love.


	24. Karaoke

**Flame of my Heart  
****by hotsodagirl**

**Summary:** A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre:** Romance/Drama

**Rating:** T, just to be safe

**Sodagirl Says**: It has been _so long_ since I updated that I'm just ready to get this over with. I apologize profusely for the delay; I just lost inspiration for a while. Great timing, right? Well, anyways, here's the final part of this story, and I'll talk more in the next chapter. And I'm sorry if these chapters are of lower quality than any of my other ones; I'm just trying to finish the story. I'll revise it later on when I'm once more inspired. )

**Chapter 24: Karaoke**

_**One Week Later**_

"Sharpay! Gabriella! What is _taking_ you so long?!" Troy shouted from the outside of what was once his bedroom door. The living arrangement in his house had been changed again once Sharpay had gotten out of the hospital. Sharpay and Gabriella were sharing Troy's old room, Troy and Ryan were sharing Candi's old room, Sharpay and Ryan's mother was using the guest room, Troy's parents were back in their original room, and Candi was out on the couch. Troy's parents had sold his old king-sized bed and used the money and a little more to buy twin-sized beds for each of the teenagers. Needless to say, Sharpay was not pleased to be sleeping on such a small bed, but she didn't mind settling for it after everything that had happened to everyone. And once Ryan apologized to Candi for hurting her while he was drunk, she was more than happy to sleep out in the living room if it meant a better living situation for her two idols. The Boltons had finished with Gabriella's papers, so she had been officially adopted and everything was good in the household. Well, almost everything…

"SHARPAY! GABRIELLA! WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE!" Troy yelled in frustration, banging his fist on their door. Sharpay rolled her eyes from the interior of the room and walked over to the entrance in her underwear and cami, opening the door open a crack and poking her head out to give him an annoyed look.

"_Tro-oy_! Gabriella and myself are _trying_ to get ready," she said in a whiny voice and a toned-down glare. "We're not going to be late. And if we are, then we'll be _fashionably _late, and that's never a bad thing. Got it? Don't care!" She slammed the door in his face before he had the chance to say anything. He stood there for a couple of seconds with a confused and hurt look on his face before the door opened a crack again and Sharpay's head poked back out with a smile.

"I love you," she cooed, batting her eyelashes innocently. He leaned the upper half of his body over slightly so that he was eye-level with her and much closer, and he wore the same goofy grin that he usually had when he was around her.

"I love you, too," he cooed back, giving her butterfly kisses.

"Oh, my gosh; I cannot believe you guys are actually doing that," Gabriella said from where she sat curling her hair at the vanity mirror. Sharpay glanced over to her and stuck her tongue out at her.

"Shut up, Gabby," the blonde said with fake iciness. "You and Ryan are _so much_ worse than we are!" Gabriella scoffed and held her hand to her chest as if she couldn't believe was her friend had just said.

"Ex-_cuse_ me?" she snapped with attitude, trying not to giggle. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I think you do," Sharpay said, turning and leaning against the door so that it wasn't even a centimeter of the way open. "I heard you talking to my brother on the phone the other night. 'You hang up first!' 'No, you hang up first!' '_You_ hang up first!' It was _ridiculous_. Do you realize that you could have just walked ten feet and went to his room?" She grinned at the girl and pointed silently to the heart-shaped pillows on her bed. Gabriella nodded and skipped over to the head of the bed. Picking up two pillows, she tossed one to the blonde and kept the other one for herself. She made sure she talked loudly enough to be heard through the door.

"Well, I'm sorry I'm not a _skank_ like you, Sharpay!" she yelled, her face pointed more to the crack of the door than to the girl in front of her. The blonde had to bite her lip for a moment to keep from laughing too hard before she responded. She gasped loudly and over-dramatically and tried to sound as mean as possible.

"I think you're just _jealous_ of me, Gabriella!" Sharpay barked towards the door. Gabriella giggled under her breath before talking again.

"You know what, Sharpay? I think that there's only one way to settle this!" she shouted, winking at the blonde.

"PILLOW FIGHT!" they both screamed at the same time. Sharpay backed all the way up against the door, causing it to shut all the way, and she locked it quickly before trying to avoid Gabriella's incoming pillow. The Hispanic girl had good aim, however, and beat down weakly on her head. The blonde squealed and they both giggled as they attacked each other with the fluffy cushions. In the week they had spent together, it would have been hard for the two girls to _not_ have become almost like sisters. Sharpay's 'do-over' idea had been a total success – there hadn't been a serious argument or a single tear shed since the day they had all decided to start over. And, with all of them living together, the four teenagers had grown even closer than any of them had been before. As such, random pillow fights were nothing strange compared to some of the crazy things they had thought up.

Still, Troy couldn't stand the thought of not being able to be involved in what was going on on the other side of the door. He was frowning and it didn't take long before he started banging on the door again. "Hey! That's not fair!" he shouted like a two-year-old, hammering his fist harder on the wood. "Open the door! _Please_?!" At this point, Ryan came out of the boys' room looking stylish as ever in a sky blue button-down shirt, matching hat, and a nice pair of jeans. He was fiddling with the straps on his cast, which was now minus the sling, but he stopped what he was doing and looked at the other boy curiously while slowly walking closer to basketball boy and the girls' door.

"What are you doing?" he asked Troy in an almost monotone voice. Troy whirled around and pointed at the girls' door, stomping his feet childishly.

"They're having a pillow fight in there and they locked me out!" he complained. Ryan chuckled and moved in front of the other boy. He paused a moment, listening for what he could hear, and then he tapped lightly on the door.

"Shar? Gabi? It's Ryan; I was just-" He didn't even get the chance to finish his sentence when the door unlocked and opened just wide enough for a person to fit through. A naturally tan-colored arm reached out and grabbed him by his shirt, yanked him into the room, and then quickly closed and locked the door once more. Troy could hear Ryan's yells from inside, and his mouth dropped open. He stayed that way for only a moment before starting up his immature tantrum once more.

"THAT'S NOT FAIR!" he shouted as loud as he could. He heard the girls giggle from inside and a few seconds later the door opened just wide enough for a person to fit through again. He was grabbed by an arm that was slightly paler than the one that had grabbed Ryan, and then he was yanked inside as well. Someone pushed him to the floor and immediately began attacking him with a pink, heart-shaped pillow. He shrieked like a little girl, causing his blonde girlfriend to laugh as she ceased the assault and hopped atop of him. She straddled his hips and let herself completely fall over him, her body pressing against his. She kissed him forcefully, but he could sense her pain through their contact. He purposely broke away from her lips and gave her an accusing look.

"Baby," he mumbled, stealing a quick kiss before continuing on. "You really shouldn't be doing this. Pillow fights aren't going to help those wounds heal any faster." He put his on her hips and trailed them down her legs, caressing her bandaged limbs gently. She sighed with a small pout and kissed him again softly.

"Fine. But we're continuing this after the party, okay?" He nodded and she carefully rolled off of him. He helped her to stand and gave her another peck on the lips.

"But _please_ hurry up and get ready!" he begged, looking wide-eyed at the room covered in clothes, shoes, make-up, and hair products. "We're leaving in a half hour." Sharpay shook her head with a bright smile.

"_Nooo_," she said slowly, tousling his hair playfully. "We're leaving in a _whole_ hour. So you go ahead and go back to your room-" She straightened the collar of his shirt and patted the top of his head. "-and we'll be out when we're ready." She ushered him over to the door and then pulled her brother up from where he was kissing his own girlfriend on her bed and kicked him out of the room as well. Waving at them cheerfully, she shut the door and turned to look at a concerned Gabriella.

"Sharpay, do you really think that we'll both be ready in an hour?" the brunette asked. Sharpay laughed as she walked over to the vanity mirror and began to apply foundation.

"_Of course_ not. We'll need at least two. But if I told that to Troy, he'd _totally _freak out. Don't worry; I'm sure Ryan will tell him all about 'girl time.' Now then, come and finish your hair because you look like a train wreck." Gabriella gaped at her and the blonde smiled and held her hand out. "In a _good_ way! But seriously, come fix it _right now_." The brunette sighed agreeably and quickly scrambled over to the mirror.

-------

**Three**** Long Hours Later…**

"You said _one_ hour!" Troy was complaining to his girlfriend from the backseat. Sharpay was sitting in the passenger's seat, her sunglasses propped perfectly on her head and her hair blowing in the breeze of the cool evening through the open convertible roof. She rolled her eyes from his comment.

"Yeah, and that's why we're on our way to the party right now." She looked disapprovingly at her brother, who was able to drive even with his cast since the sling had been removed. "Ryan, why didn't you explain 'girl time' to him?" He shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road.

"I thought he knew. It's always been common sense for me, but I guess it's different when you don't grow up with a twin sister," he said nonchalantly.

"I know what 'girl time' is," Troy insisted, leaning forward to look at Sharpay. "But you took _three_ times longer to get ready than you said, and that's too long even for girl time." The blonde girl turned to him and smiled sweetly, although it was in that famous fake way of hers.

"Clearly," she replied calmly and perkily. "You've never heard of a little thing I like to call, 'Sharpay Time.' It's a much more advanced and complex version of what is known as 'girl time,' and since you decided you wanted me to be your girlfriend you're just going to have to get used to it." Troy looked at her, feeling confused, and Gabriella giggled from where she sat next to him in the backseat as the car turned into the street that Chad lived on.

"Hey, you guys!" Taylor yelled with an enthusiastic wave from Chad's doorway, through which one could see a house packed with people and could hear loud music blaring. Gabriella waved back with an equally enthusiastic manner and hopped out once the car was nearly stopped. The two girls hugged and then waited alongside the party-thrower as the other three teenagers got out of the now-parked car and walked up to the doorstep. Once there, Sharpay hugged Taylor and the guys exchanged first punches and friendly "man-hugs" _(you know what I mean)_.

"Man, this party is off the _hook_!" Troy exclaimed, looking around as they walked through the door and around into the crowded living area being used as a party room. "I can already tell this is one end-of-Spring-Break party that _no one_ is going to forget."

"Hey, the only way to ensure that is to have some _unforgettable_ fun," Sharpay said, looping her arm into her boyfriend's. "Come on, let's dance!" The boy looked at her critically, causing her to roll her eyes before he even said anything.

"Baby, are you sure about that? I don't want you hurting yourself or anything. You know you're not completely healed yet…" He trailed off when she leaned back and raised her eyebrows at him, giving him an "Are you kidding me?" look.

"You don't have to worry about me," she insisted with a hint of attitude. "I've done choreography under _much_ worse circumstances before. So _come with me_." Without letting him say another word, she tightened her hold on his arm to a death grip and strutted with him out to the dance floor along with the beat of the song playing.

Back on the outskirts of the crowd, Chad and Taylor had gone off somewhere and left Ryan and Gabriella alone together. The two looked over to each other, Gabriella smiling coyly and Ryan smiling in a more confident manner.

"So…" the brunette said, twirling a piece of hair around her finger subconsciously. "What do you want to do now?" Ryan thought about it a moment before letting his smile turn into a more devilish one.

"I want to dance, too," he said, knowing that his girlfriend would protest due to her irrational fear of public attention. And, just as he had predicted, her face fell into a horrified expression at his words.

"I don't think so," she said shakily. "Everybody is already in our business with everything that's been going on, and I'd rather stay out of the limelight and not have people staring at me." Ryan laughed and wagged his finger at her.

"Gabi, you're going to have to get over this phobia at some point. Now, if you don't want people staring at you and giving you attention, then I suggest you come willingly and dance with me in front of everyone." He finished off with a wink at the confused girl, who took a step away from him.

"What do you mean, _willingly_?" she asked, continuing to step away as her boyfriend moved closer. "Ryan, please tell me you're not _really _going to-" It was too late. He grabbed her around the waist with his strong arm and slung her up over her shoulder, picking her up "fireman style." She screamed and kicked her legs about as he carried her into the crowd, actions which drew much more attention than Gabriella ever would have wanted. He finally set her down once they were near the middle of everyone and right alongside Troy and Sharpay. They laughed at the brunette's cherry red face as she gave Ryan a look of fake anger. He merely laughed once more and held his hands up at her.

"You can't get mad at me; I gave you the option of coming willingly." He stroked the cheek of the pouting girl, allowing his expression to take on a trace of fake sadness. "You're not really mad, are you?" he asked, just to be sure. Her face broke off into a soft smile that, to Ryan, looked so beautiful across her features.

"Of course not," she said lovingly, reaching up and pulling his face down to her height. Their lips barely brushed against each other, tenderly and affectionately, and their bodies began to move to the beat that blasted through the speakers and projected throughout the room.

After only a moment, Gabriella felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and she managed to pull it out and check it while continuing to dance with her boyfriend the whole time. Seeing that she had a new text message, she went to her inbox and looked at the message she had just received. It was from Sharpay. Gabriella looked over to the blonde, but the girl was busy dancing with Troy and didn't even seem to notice the girl's gaze. Still, she had her cell phone in hand as she danced, so Gabriella looked back at her own phone and read the text message.

_'GABI – THERE IS SOMETHING THAT WE MUST DO AT THIS PARTY N I DONT CARE IF YOU HAVE STAGE FRIGHT BCUS WERE DOING IT NEWAY. –SHARPAY'_ Gabriella groaned inaudibly under the blaring music. _'Oh, God,'_ she thought as she opened a new text message.

_'THIS HAD BETTER NOT BE SOMETHING THAT WILL COMPLETELY MORTIFY ME. WAT IS IT? –GABI'_ She hit the send button and waited a few seconds. She noted that Sharpay mimicked the brunette's motions as she danced while opening her phone and looking at the new text messaged. She quickly texted something back and closed her phone, and Gabriella felt her own phone vibrate in her hand. Opening it, she read the message and her eyes widened. Bewilderment across her face, she looked over to the blonde, who this time looked back with a twinkle in her eyes and nodded.

Gabriella waited for her stomach to sink. She waited for her palms to feel sweaty and her throat to feel dry and her knees to go weak in the worst possible way. But surprisingly, none of this happened. Somehow, she felt confident that she could do the thing Sharpay had asked, and she supposed it was because she knew it was one of the best ways to express how she felt. She quickly texted back, _'ALRIGHT, COUNT ME IN'_ and then closed her phone and smiled. Ryan, who she was still dancing with, gave her a confused look.

"What's going on?" he asked in a low voice next to her ear so that she could hear him. She giggled and shrugged her shoulders playfully.

"I don't know; you'll just have to wait and see."

-------

"Alright everybody, are you havin' a good time?!" Chad shouted into the microphone at the front of the room later on that night. "Let me hear you make some noise!!!" On cue, everybody in the room screamed and clapped their hands together. The boy chuckled and held out his hands. "Hey, what team?!"

"WILDCATS!" the crowd shouted back.

"What team?!"

"WILDCATS!"

"What team?!"

"WILDCATS!"

"Wildcats!"

"GETCHA HEAD IN THE GAME!!!"

Chad chuckled, scanning his eyes across the crowd. They immediately locked onto the brown eyes of the girl once known as the 'Ice Queen'; however, things had changed throughout the tragedies. He had a feeling that no one would think of calling her by her former nickname again any time soon. Even as he thought this, she gave him a genuinely warm smile and he nodded at her to let her know it was time.

"Alright, Wildcats, you're in for a real treat now," he announced, holding his hands up to command full attention. "A little while ago, a good friend of mine came over to me and requested to take over the mic for a few minutes. I was worried at first because this friend of mine is a _bit_ of an attention hog-" He paused to wink at the blonde in the audience, who still held her warm smile. "-But once she explained what she wanted, I agreed. So now, I turn the stage over to my friend, Sharpay Evans, and three of my other very close friends: Gabriella, Troy, and Ryan!"

Confusion was apparent on the faces of the boys as Gabriella and Sharpay led their boyfriends up to the slightly elevated platform. Sharpay was the first one on the stage and made her way to the microphone as quickly as she was physically able. Grasping it between her hands, she shot out a winning smile to the partying students and cleared her throat.

"Ahem! People!" She tapped the microphone, making sure that all eyes were on her before she continued on. "Now then, I'm sure you're all wondering why we're up here, _including-_" She turned to the two boys. "-The two of you." She took the microphone off its stand and stepped closer to Troy, entwining the fingers of her free hand with his. A humble look came over her as she began to speak to him.

"Troy, I know these past few weeks haven't been easy on you. I have barged into your home and your life, and I was rude about it the whole time even though you had nothing but kindness for me. I've upset your lifestyle with my drama, and I've caused unnecessary problems. I've had my ups and my downs and I've taken all my emotions out on you. But somehow you never stopped caring. You never stopped trying to find the better person behind the act that I put up for everyone. And even now, I can't seem to figure out how you managed to cool my rage and melt my icy heart. But, however you did it, I want you to know that I'm thankful for it and I don't know where I would be if I didn't have you in it.

"And Ryan, my wonderful Ryan. God, my whole _life_ has caused you unnecessary problems. But, more recently speaking, I am ashamed to even think back on what I've put you through throughout all of this. I let my jealousy bring out the worst in me, and I was too stubborn to ever admit I was wrong. But I was, Ryan. I was so wrong, and I've suffered sleepless nights thinking about how I don't deserve the forgiveness that you'll always be willing to give to me. You're my twin brother; you've been with me through everything and anything I can remember. I wouldn't be standing here today if it weren't for you. You mean more than life to me, and I hope you know I _do_ appreciate you even though most of the time it might seem like I don't. I love you and I just pray that I won't cause you any more trouble." Sharpay hugged them both with a peaceful look on her face that can only come when a person spills their mind and is truly repentant for what they've done. She wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye as she held the microphone out to Gabriella, who took it eagerly as the boys turned to her.

"Ryan, you've always been good to me, and I wish I could have been the same to you. It wasn't only Sharpay's fault for the things that have happened; it was mine as well. I've been the one trying to take the easy way out of my problems when things got rough, but you were always standing strong. You believed in us when I thought we were over, and you let me come back to you instead of chasing me. You are the perfect boyfriend and you should know that I feel so blessed to have someone like you in my life.

"And Troy. I am so glad to have you as my new brother. There was jealousy among all four of us, and it means a lot to me that we can be friends and siblings after what we've been through. You may have cheated on me while we were together and then broke me and Ryan up later, but the fact that we can still be so close through the things that have happened is a sign that you were truly meant to be my brother. We have so much history, even in a few months, and I wouldn't trade you for another brother. I love both of you guys." She hugged Troy and Ryan, just as Sharpay had done moments before, and handed the microphone back to the blonde girl.

"The reason we're up here is because Gabriella and I wanted to do something to show our appreciation for these wonderful guys. So we decided to come up here, say a few things, and then let our feelings be known in our true style. Of course, I've been doing musicals for years, and Gabriella likes to sing as well, so we thought, 'What better way to say what we want than through song?'" She giggled and looked off to the right of the stage, where Kelsi sat at the piano. She nodded, and a beautiful melody filled the room and silenced the audience. Sharpay took a deep breathe and looked deep into her boyfriend's eyes as she began to sing the first verse.

"_I've heard it said_

_That people come into our lives_

_For a reason_

_Bringing something we must learn_

_And we are led_

_To those who help us most to grow_

_If we let them_

_And we help them in return_

_Well, I don't know if I believe that's true_

_But I know I'm who I am today_

_Because I knew you"_

She turned to her left, where her brother stood by her side, and sang the chorus to him.

"_Like a comet pulled from orbit_

_As it passes a sun_

_Like a stream that meets a boulder_

_Halfway through the wood_

_Who can say if I've been changed for the better?_

_But because I knew you  
I have been changed for good"_

Sharpay smiled, wrapping one arm around her brother's waist and passing the mic on to Gabriella to free up her other arm to wrap around Troy. Gabriella placed her hand gently on Ryan's arm and began to sing to him when he focused his attention on her.

"_It well may be_

_That we will never meet again_

_In this lifetime_

_So let me say before we part_

_So much of me_

_Is made of what I learned from you_

_You'll be with me_

_Like a handprint on my heart_

_And now whatever way our stories end_

_I know you have rewritten mine_

_By being my friend"_

Gabriella crossed the stage, making her way over to Troy's side. She jokingly gave him a light punch on the shoulder before singing again.

"_Like a ship blown from its mooring_

_By a wind off the sea_

_Like a seed dropped by a skybird_

_In a distant wood_

_Who can say if I've been changed for the better?_

_But because I knew you.."_

Sharpay leaned across Troy and smiled at Gabriella, her best friend. It was hard to believe how much she had hated her weeks before, and now here they were singing together.

"_Because I knew you"_

Gabriella smiled back at her friend and held the microphone out a bit more so that both girls had equal access to it as they sang together.

"_I have been changed for good"_

Memories began to flood up in both girls' minds, and suddenly the song became personal, not just for the guys, but between the two girls as well. They had tried to ruin each other's lives, and all the while they could have been good friends. Gabriella sang first, thinking of her mother as well as all the times she had complained about Sharpay.

"_And just to clear the air_

_I ask forgiveness_

_For the things I've done you blame me for"_

Sharpay shook her head, knowing that she was the one who had actually started all the drama. She had kissed Troy while he was dating Gabriella, gotten mad at the girl over her own family's issues, and had treated the girl cruelly ever since she stepped foot into East High.

"_But then I guess we know_

_There's blame to share"_

The girls looked at each other, then to their boyfriends, then their brothers, and they knew they were doing something right. They sang the next line together, and then broke off into separate but combined choruses.

"_And none of it seems to matter any more…_

_Like a comet pulled from orbit (Like a ship blown from its mooring)_

_As it passes the sun (By a wind off the sea)_

_Like a stream that meets a boulder (Like a seed dropped by)_

_Halfway through the wood (A bird in the wood)_

_Who can say if I've been changed for the better?_

_I do believe I have been changed for the better, and_

_Because I knew you_

_Because I knew you_

_Because I knew you_

_I have been changed for good"_

The audience erupted into cheers as the song reached its end. Troy picked Sharpay up into his arms and swung her around, while Ryan pulled Gabriella in close and gave her a soft kiss. The mood in the room was relaxed; free of drama or any harsh feelings. Life for the teens of East High couldn't get any better.


	25. Epilogue

******Flame of my Heart  
****by hotsodagirl**

**Summary:** A mistake. A silent cry for help. Who knew a pot of noodles could cause so much trouble in a few weeks?

**Genre:** Romance/Drama

**Rating:** T, just to be safe

**Epilogue**

Once the party began to wind down, the Evans twins and their dates decided it was about time to head back to the Bolton home. As they headed out the door, Troy decided it was time for Gabriella to go back to her old house to pick up the last of her things, and soon it would be time to go through her mother's belongings. Feeling the need to spend some quality time together, Sharpay insisted that the two go along in Troy's car while she and her brother would walk home. With brief kisses between the two couples, the group split and headed off in separate diections.

Sharpay and Ryan made light conversation on the way home but mostly walked in silence. After all, they were twins and they mostly knew what the other would have said anyways. They walked mostly for the pure purpose of being together, without friends or any other outside influences.

The twins made a stop just before they reached the Bolton home. They stopped at the remains of the house next door – the house that used to be their own home but was now nothing more than a large lot of ashes and burnt wood. Neither had returned to that place since the fire had actually occurred, but they walked through the smoky ruins and poked around to see if anything had survived. Nothing much was found, with the exception of a few scrap pieces of old trophies and a small tin lunchbox that was barely recognizable. Inside was a flower, now dried and wilted, that Ryan had given to Sharpay many years ago as a symbol of his care for her. She smiled as she opened the box and remembered fond memories of her brother. He kissed her forehead; this night would be yet another memory.

Just as they were beginning to step out of the rubble, Sharpay's phone rang. She answered it with a cheery tone, but in the dark her brother saw her face fall as the person on the other end of the line spoke. Her eyes were full of worry; her body began to shake even though it was warm outside. She ended the conversation telling the person that she and her brother would be there as soon as they could, and then she hung up. Ryan studied her reaction, but could not imagine what had happened to cause it.

"Ryan…" she whispered, putting her hands in his. "That was Troy. There's been an accident. Gabriella… they don't know if she's going to make it."

TO BE CONTINUED…


	26. Thanks!

**Flame of my Heart  
****by hotsodagirl**

**Sodagirl Says**: So, that's the end! I know, you're thinking, 'Finally!' P Maybe, maybe not. I'm just proud to have actually finished it. I _do_ have a sequel planned, but I don't actually plan to post it very soon. Please, you all know how I am with updating, and plus I'm busy right now with this program thing that I'm trying to get into where I might be going to college next year. So I really don't know when the sequel will happen but I hope you'll read it when it does. ) Oh, and yeah I know I have my other stories on here that are waiting for an update, like _Wishing You Well_, _Vindictive_, and _A True Ice Princess_. I'll definitely get to those eventually, but I can't promise you when. Sorry ) I'll talk more about it down below.

Now, it's time for my LONG thank-you list. Yeah, I do realize that I could have just said "Thanks to everyone who reviewed and added me to their favorites and all," but I think you all know me well enough by now to know that that's not the way Alyssa does things. When I first started this story, I replied to every single review at the beginning of the next chapter, and once I stopped doing that I still replied to the majority of them through the whole review reply thing. I appreciate _every single_ person, and so I want to recognize them all! So yeah, I actually did take the time to go through every single review page and write down every person that reviewed.

First of all, though, before I thank the readers and all, I want to thank God for blessing me with a fairly good talent for writing. I also want to thank everyone involved in the wonderful movie of _High School Musical_, because without them I wouldn't have ever written this story because_ HSM _wouldn't exist.

Okay, _now_ I want to thank every person that ever reviewed. I'm going to do this by chapter, and the names in _italics_ are the people who reviewed anonymously. One thing that I also want to say is that I know that Baybee.Kayked.Fever and Hsmgirl92 both started reviewing my story anonymously and then they got FFN accounts. I don't know if there was anyone else like that but those were the two that I was sure of so I put a note next to each of their anonymous thanks. If there was anyone else with the same case as then and I didn't know, then I'm sorry. Oh, and anonymous reviews are in _italics_.

_(NOTE: These are only the people who had reviewed by the time I posted this. Therefore, there will be no thanks for chapters 24 or 25, but just know that I do appreciate you when you do review chapters 24 and 25!)_

**Chapter 1: **XxTARAxXg, emb22, Breakin' Dishes, Dreamin.of.Scotland.and.Mexico, valelemichellio, A Dawn Delivery, charmarctravis, youtubesmybff aka chel08, Baybee.Kayked.Fever, Pwincess-Candypop, Kanname-Chan, cherryblossomjen, xxAnnaxx, Wangsta Chicka, darkpheonix52, EFRON'S GiRl x3, TheMissingFrame, StoryBee, Mondler4EvEr, Ashley's Fool, CaitlinLovesYou, Dracoisalooker76, Shoelace22

**Chapter 2: **emb22, Dreamin.of.Scotland.and.Mexico, valele, Lady Charity, A Dawn Delivery, Baybee.Kayked.Fever, charmarctravis, cherryblossomjen, xxAnnaxx, _Hsmgirl92_ (before she got her FFN account), TheMissingFrame, Ashley's Fool, knick-knack-15, Shoelace22, Dracoisalooker76, StoryBee

**Chapter 3: **LucyLicious xx, emb22, Breakin' Dishes, Dreamin.of.Scotland.and.Mexico, valele, Lady Charity, A Dawn Delivery, charmarctravis, Ashley's Fool, xxAnnaxx, Star-Girl11235, StoryBee, _Hsmgirl92_ (before she got her FFN account), _HSMROCKS, _Fangirl44, _maddie, _futbolgirl793, ELM-Tree10, Dracoisalooker76, TheMissingFrame, _Shoelace22_

**Chapter 4: **mrs.r.bloom, emb22, Dreamin.of.Scotland.and.Mexico, valele, A Dawn Delivery, charmarctravis, knick-knack-15, _Baybee.Kayked.Fever_ (before she got her FFN account), Anti Cel, _Hsmgirl92 _(before she got her FFN account), TheMissingFrame, Star-Girl11235, Pnaii Ball3r, _Baybee.Kayked.Fever_ (before she got her FFN account), Ashley's Fool, ELM-Tree10, HyPerPunnKGRL, xxAnnaxx, Shoelace22

**Chapter 5**: emb22, Dreamin.of.Scotland.and.Mexico, valele, Lady Charity, A Dawn Delivery, charmarctravis, Star-Girl11235, DeGrAsSiMyAnTiDrUg, Anti Cel, _Valerie, _StoryBee, _Hsmgirl92_ (before she got her FFN account), simpleee.meee, HyPerPunnKGRL, _Baybee.Kayked.Fever_ (before she got her FFN account), _savanna, _Ashley's Fool, CaitlinLovesYou, TheMissingFrame, darkpheonix52, xxAnnaxx, Shoelace22

**Chapter 6: **_Butterfly, _emb22, Dreamin.of.Scotland.and.Mexico, valele, A Dawn Delivery  
charmarctravis, xofalling2deep, xoxo kati 459, TheMissingFrame, ethereal tear, _Hsmgirl92_ (before she got her FFN account), _savanna, _StoryBee, Star-Girl11235, Ashley's Fool, cRaZiEk724, ELM-Tree10, Pnaii Ball3r, _Amanda14, _xxAnnaxx, AtSundown22, _Baybee.Kayked.Fever_ (before she got her FFN account), Shoelace22

**Chapter 7: **WHPIAR, emb22, Dreamin.of.Scotland.and.Mexico, valele, A Dawn Delivery, charmarctravis. ohsnapers, TheMissingFrame, Pnaii Ball3r, palindrome713, ELM-Tree10, AtSundown22, Ethereal-Aria, _Hsmgirl92_ (before she got her FFN account), ethereal tear, DeGrAsSiMyAnTiDrUg, Baybee.Kayked.Fever, Ashley's Fool, xxAnnaxx, xofalling2deep, Shoelace22

**Chapter 8: **emb22, Dreamin.of.Scotland.and.Mexico, valele, charmarctravis, Fangirl44, xxAnnaxx, GizmoBunny, wchsgirl2121, StoryBee, Shoelace22, Ethereal-Aria, knick-knack-15, Star-Girl11235, xofalling2deep, DeGrAsSiMyAnTiDrUg, ELM-Tree10, Ashley's Fool, Baybee.Kayked.Fever, _Hsmgirl92_ (before she got her FFN account)

**Chapter 9: **emb22, Dreamin.of.Scotland.and.Mexico, valele, charmarctravis, somuchforyou, _Gabrielle, _Ashley's Fool, cRaZiEk724, ELM-Tree10, _Hsmgirl92_ (before she got her FFN account), xxAnnaxx, StoryBee, aznsrule.10, Shoelace22, Baybee.Kayked.Fever, _#1 Sister Act Fan_

**Chapter 10: **emb22, Dreamin.of.Scotland.and.Mexico, valele, charmarctravis, Elephantsmania, michellio, Jordan-Troy Bolton, Marshmallows rock, Andrea Sumeragi, _Hsmgirl92_ (before she got her FFN account), Star-Girl11235, ac5000, Shoelace22, Ashley's Fool, xxAnnaxx, Pwincess-Candypop, Baybee.Kayked.Fever, knick-knack-15, DeGrAsSiMyAnTiDrUg, StoryBee

**Chapter 11: **emb22, Dreamin.of.Scotland.and.Mexico, valele, Lady Charity, _sadie, _charmarctravis, bighdancer1126, crushie, _PinkPixxie, _Aya Kurayami, Jordan-Troy Bolton, Hsmgirl92, xxAnnaxx, michellio, Star-Girl11235, DeGrAsSiMyAnTiDrUg, StoryBee, Marshmallows rock, Shoelace22, Pwincess-Candypop, Baybee.Kayked.Fever, aznsrule.10, ELM-Tree10, Debbiek91121, Ashley's Fool, ac5000

**Chapter 12: **emb22, valele, A Dawn Delivery, Lady Charity, .X. H a y l i i e .X., Katie Loves Zashley, _xsharpayryanx, _Aves Argent, aznsrule.10, crushie, Star-Girl11235, xBeautifulSoulx, Hsmgirl92, _xsharpayryanx, _GizmoBunny, Pwincess-Candypop, charmarctravis, xxAnnaxx, Shoelace22, Ashley's Fool, Baybee.Kayked.Fever, ac5000, ELM-Tree10, Jordan-Troy Bolton, Debbiek91121, DisneySktrGrl, michellio

**Chapter 13: **emb22, Dreamin.of.Scotland.and.Mexico, valele, michellio, Ashley's Fool, pottergrl15, Jordan-Troy Bolton, ZaShLeYhSm14, Hsmgirl92, _Lil Miss Vixen, _Aves Argent, Katie Loves Zashley, Baybee.Kayked.Fever, ELM-Tree10, DeGrAsSiMyAnTiDrUg, Lady Charity, crushie, DisneySktrGrl, charmarctravis

**Chapter 14: **emb22, Dreamin.of.Scotland.and.Mexico, valele, GizmoBunny, Sharpay, michellio, Ashley's Fool, Western Arawen, Jordan-Troy Bolton, Hsmgirl92, _anonymous, _thatkidwiththeface-x3d, ZaShLeYhSm14, Unlove You, charmarctravis, pottergrl15, '-' -H3ll0- '-', hundredandthree-xo, crushie, Katie Loves Zashley, Aya Kurayami, ELM-Tree10, ZacCorbinLucasLover714

**Chapter 15: **emb22, Dreamin.of.Scotland.and.Mexico, AlwaysxAddicted, valele, Hsmgirl92, '-' -H3ll0- '-', Mac'squeaky, xofalling2deep, michellio, MiseryluvsDeath aka Fidele, charmarctravis, ELM-Tree10, xxAnnaxx, Unlove You, remedyofpain, DisneySktrGrl, Sharpay, Ashley's Fool, Western Arawen

**Chapter 16: **emb22, Dreamin.of.Scotland.and.Mexico, michellio, ready anf, EarlGreyTea, GizmoBunny, Hsmgirl92, ZaShLeYhSm14, Stessa, ELM-Tree10, Tammii92, Unlove You, Aya Kurayami, addictedtomusic, xxAnnaxx, AshelyZac4life, valele, AlwaysxAddicted, Sharpay, Western Arawen, DisneySktrGrl, charmarctravis, PeteWentzisexi-moliver-4EV, xofalling2deep, '-' -H3ll0- '-', crushie

**Chapter 17: **_Elsie Neale, _emb22, Dreamin.of.Scotland.and.Mexico, EarlGreyTea, Ashley's Fool, GizmoBunny, Baybee.Kayked.Fever, _U Got Mail, _valele, ZaShLeYhSm14, xxAnnaxx, Aya Kurayami, addictedtomusic, ELM-Tree10, Sharpay, Stessa, Western Arawen, charmarctravis, Unlove You, AlwaysxAddicted, knick-knack-15, '-' -H3ll0- '-', DisneySktrGrl, AshelyZac4life, Tammii92, PeteWentzisexi-moliver-4EV, Hsmgirl92

**Chapter 18: **lucasgirl33, _Elsie Neale, _Zashleyfan4eva, TheNinaBobo, Aya Kurayami, Breakin' Dishes, emb22, Ashley's Fool, charmarctravis, Western Arawen, xofalling2deep, Hsmgirl92, Sharpay, GizmoBunny, Stessa, ELM-Tree10, Unlove You, '-' -H3ll0- '-', DisneySktrGrl, crushie, addictedtomusic, AlwaysxAddicted, x duhz dorkface

**Chapter 19: **_marianne Reznik, _emb22, TroyellaISaPOSER, addictedtomusic, Hsmgirl92, StoryBee, charmarctravis, GizmoBunny, DeGrAsSiMyAnTiDrUg, Sharpay

**Chapter 20: **Forbiddenfiction, emb22, Lady Charity, TroyellaISaPOSER, addictedtomusic, aikokimi, AlwaysxAddicted, fibi3, Hsmgirl92, charmarctravis

**Chapter 21: **_Louisa, JESSiCA, _Forbiddenfiction, Hsmgirl92, Paoola-S', charmarctravis, We're-All-In-This-Together-17, Chesom549, addictedtomusic, fibi3, emb22, crushie, TroyellaISaPOSER

**Chapter 22: **We're-All-In-This-Together-17, giantzacface, Icy4aReason, GizmoBunny, charmarctravis, Western Arawen, Hsmgirl92, addictedtomusic, addictedtomusic, Lady Charity

**Chapter 23:** Hsmgirl92, addictedtomusic, charmarctravis

Okay, that's all the people who have reviewed up to this very moment that I am updating this, but like I said before, I still appreciate you very much for reviewing chapters 24 and 25 or any other chapters that you never reviewed. If you review, I'll still reply to you though ;)

And now I have more thanks! I want to thank the following people for having this story on their story alert at this very moment that I am updating this: 1. -x-pop-pwincess-x- 2. A Dawn Delivery, 3. Allison Landon, 4. AlwaysxAddicted, 5. AtSundown22, 6. Aves Argent, 7. BelleLane, 8. Broken Gem, 9. Chesom549, 10. Clotisy, 11. Crispy Hobbit, 12. DeGrAsSiMyAnTiDrUg, 13. Dreamer-girl-akire-86,14. Dreams of Starlight, 15. EarlGreyTea, 16. Fangirl44, 17. Forbiddenfiction, 18. GizmoBunny, 19. HSMTroypay07, 20. ICan'tTakeMyEyesOffOfYou, 23. Icy4aReason, 24. Jasmin63, 25. JazzzzzSquares, 26. JellyFish72, 27. KPSweetie631, 28. LuCaS lUvEr aka GrAbEeLs GiRl, 29. Lucyej, 30. Lynner-15, 31. Mondler4EvEr, 32. Mrs. Radcliffe-Efron, 33. PeteWentzisexi-moliver-4EV, 34. Pumpernickel Muffin, 35. Pwincess-Candypop, 36. Samantha Rae, 37. Sharpay, 38. StoryBee, 39. Stroppy-Teenager, 40. SunsetGlory, 41. Tammii92, 42. TheMissingFrame, 43. TheNinaBobo, 44. Thirteenth.Scepter, 45. Trekki, 46. TroyellaISaPOSER, 47. Western Arawen, 48. XxCasxX, 49. XxTARAxXg, 50. ZaShLeYhSm14, 51. Zashleyfan4eva, 52. aikokimi, 53. aznsrule.10, 54. b.winchester, 55. central-gurl101, 56. charmarctravis, 57. crushie, 58. dark x princess x3, 59. doodleswriter357, 60. emb22, 61. esthy, 62. ethereal tear, 63. fibi3, 64. giantzacface, 65. hiptothejive, 66. hsmfan10151, 67. inyourfridge, 68. katasticx33, 69. knick-knack-15, 70. lissa james, 71. minnie4791, 72. mondlering moofoot, 73. mrs.r.bloom, 74. naivetohope, 75. our-memories, 76. remedyofpain, 77. rmrivera, 78. serenity360, 79. sportytwin77x, 80. walkingonsunshine01, 81. xBeautifulSoulx, 82. xamyxjx, 83. xofalling2deep, 84. yasmin-011972

And I'm still not done with listing names! I want to thank all the people that have this story on their Favorites at this exact moment that I'm updating this: 1. -x-pop-pwincess-x-, 2. AlwaysxAddicted, 3. Ashley's Fool, 4. AtSundown22, 5. Aves Argent, 6. Aya Kurayami, 7. Baybee.Kayked.Fever, 8. BelleLane, 9. Breakin' Dishes, 10. CaitlinLovesYou, 11. DeGrAsSiMyAnTiDrUg, 12. Debbiek91121, 13. Deamer-girl-akire-86, 14. Dreamin.of.Scotland.and.Mexico, 15. ELM-Tree10, 16. EarlGreyTea, 17. Equestrienne Dreams, 18. Ethereal-Aria, 19. Evane21, 20. Forbiddenfiction, 21. GizmoBunny, 22. Going2Alaska, 23. Heavens Dark AngelX5-494, 24. Hsmgirl92, 25. I'm Likeeeeee, 26. ICan'tTakeMyEyesOffOfYou, 27. Icy4aReason, 28. Jordan-Troy Bolton, 29. Katie Loves Zashley, 30. Kiwil-loves-kiwis-Jirina, 31. Lady Charity, 32. Lashleylove, 33. Lil' Lizzers, 34. Loveforeverlivetoday, 35. LucyLicious xx, 36. Nameless Love, 37. Paoola-S', 28. PeteWentzisexi-moliver-4EV, 39. Pwincess-Candypop, 40. Samantha Rae, 41. Sharpay, 42. Star-Girl11235, 43. StoryBee, 44. SweetSmiles16, 45. Tammii92, 46. ThE HeArT NeVeR LiEs, 47. ThatOnePVkid, 48. TheNinaBobo, 49. TroyellaISaPOSER, 50. Unlove You, 51. Wangsta Chicka, 52. We're-All-In-This-Together-17, 53. Western Arawen, 54. XxCasxX, 55. XxTARAxXg, 56. ZASHLEYfanFOREVER, 57. ZaShLeYhSm14, 58. Zashleyfan4eva, 59. addictedtomusic, 60. aikokimi, 61. alltimelow88, 62. bighdancer1126, 63. cRaZiEk724, 64. charmarctravis, 65. christy xx, 66. crushie, 67. doodleswriter357, 68. dulcemaria22, 69. emb22, 70. ethereal tear, 71. fibi3, 72. giantzacface, 73. gonabeastar, 74. hamhead22, 75. heysam14, 76. hiptothejive, 77. knick-knack-15, 78. lucy2790, 79. michellio, 80. minnie4791, 81. mrs.r.bloom, 82. our-memories, 83. palindrome713, 84. plasticlittlespastic, 85. raindropsandcherryblossoms, 86. remedyofpain, 87. rockchick900, 88. sportytwin77x, 89. troypayVie, 90. x duhz dorkface, 91. xBeautifulSoulx, 92. xamyxjx, 93. xbbydumdumx, 94. xofalling2deep, 95. xxAnnaxx, 96. yayyeness

Next, I want to give a big thank you to the 5 C2's that have this story included in their archives at this exact moment: **Ryella** - managed by dwilivia, **Troy Sharpay, Ryan Gabriella...** - managed by SweetSmiles16, **Troypay fics** - managed by Ashley's Fool, **We'll Be Together Come Whatever** - managed by Dreamin.of.Scotland.and.Mexico, and **a Collection of Ryella's and Troypays** - managed by Outspoken Dreamer.

So, my plans for the future. My biggest concerns are with _Wishing You Well_, because I've got one chapter left, and _A True Ice Princess_, because I actually have the entire thing planned out. I might update _Wishing You Well_ fairly soon because of the fact that there's only one chapter left, but I can't promise it. As for _A True Ice Princess_, well, that'll just come as I have time. _Vindictive_… if you want to see more of that, you've got to pray for me. P No, like, I totally wrote that on a whim. I had an idea for the first chapter and then like one somewhere else and then like no other ideas whatsoever. So, yeah, pray for an idea to come to me for me to be inspired to write it. P I also have a few one-shot ideas, and some new ideas for things other than HSM, so I will write stuff as I am inspired and as I have time. Oh, and yeah, I still plan to revise some of this story. It'll happen as it happens.

And… I think that's about it. Thank you so much to _everyone_ who has ever supported, read, reviewed, etc., etc. for this story. I love you all and I am so extremely grateful that I could share this fanfiction with you all. I _love_ to write, and I'm always trying to improve myself. But yeah, it took me about a year and a half, but I finally finished this thing! I can hardly believe it, and I hope you all have loved it as much as I've loved thinking it up and writing it. Mucho mucho MUCHO love to all! Reviews have kept my spirits high and I am so proud to finish my first full-length story! ;D I love you ALL! _–hotsodagirl–_

_How can you continue to help hotsodagirl, aka Alyssa, out? Go to her profile! From there you can reach her YouTube (comments, friends, and subscribers are loved!), her side MySpace (because her main MySpace is only used for people she knows in real life – safety first!), and all of her stories! You can also PM or email her anytime – she loves to chat. Go check out her profile!_

_hotsodagirl's other stories…_

_- Swing (Troypay; One-shot)_

_- No Regrets (One-shot)_

_- Wishing You Well (Ryella; Four-shot)_

_- Slipped Away (Nonincestuous Rypay, Troypay; One-Shot)_

_- Vindictive (Troyella, Ryella)_

_- Watermelon Sorbet (Troypay; One-Shot)_

_- A True Ice Princess (Rypay, Troyella, Others)_

_Stay tuned for the trailer for __Flame of my Heart 2: Hearts of Stone_


	27. Flame of my Heart 2 Trailer

**Flame of my Heart 2: Hearts of Stone TRAILER  
****By hotsodagirl**

**Voice-Over**

_(Actions)_

Character Dialogue

_(Shows Gabriella, Ryan, Sharpay, and Troy at the party at the end of Spring Break, all having a good time)_

**Sharpay: Usually in my life, if something really good happens it means something bad is right around the corner.**

_(Sharpay and Troy kiss outside, as do Ryan and Gabriella. The couples split; Ryan and Sharpay walk in one direction toward home and Troy and Gabriella get into Troy's car with Chad and Taylor to go get fast food)_

**Sharpay: ****That night was no exception.**

_(Sharpay and Ryan are standing in the ruins of their burned down house. Sharpay hangs up her phone and looks at Ryan with worry in her eyes)_

Sharpay: There was an accident. Gabriella… they don't know if she's going to make it

_(Ryan and Sharpay run into the emergency waiting room, where Troy immediately stands up and meets them)_

Ryan: What happened?

_(Troy looks off to the side, not able to answer)_

_(Shows the crime scene footage on the television news)_

News Reporter: … where a teenage girl was attacked late last night. The assaulter had yet to be found or identified…

**Sharpay: And things only continued to get worse when **_**she**_** showed up. Kelsi Neilson – wannabe detective and private investigator.**

_(At the high school, Kelsi pulls Ryan aside at lunch and takes him out into the empty hall)_

Kelsi: I can help you… My dad's one of the investigators trying to solve Gabriella's case…

_(As Kelsi's voice continues, the scene switches to Ryan and Kelsi sneaking into the room where the evidence is being held)_

Kelsi: … I know where they keep the evidence. If you want, I could help get you in there. Maybe we could figure something out.

_(In the evidence room, Ryan picks up a plastic bag holding a knife)_

Ryan: Is this one the weapon she was attacked with?

_(Kelsi nods)_

_(Ryan studies the knife inside the bag carefully, a confused look on his face)_

Ryan: …This is one of my father's knives.

_(At the Bolton home, Ryan and Troy are standing next to Sharpay, who is sitting on the bed. She stands up, an equally confused look as Ryan had been displaying before)_

Sharpay: But he couldn't have done it! Dad's in jail!

_(Kelsi sits next to Ryan, who is next to Sharpay, at the lunch table. She slides a file folder over to them)_

Kelsi: I found some interesting information about your father. It might change your perspective on the case.

**Sharpay: She thought she was helping, but she really just made everything worse.**

_(Kelsi and Ryan are standing alone by the Wildcat statue in the hall. Ryan is looking through another file folder, a relieved look on his face)_

Ryan: This is it. We've got it! _smiles at Kelsi_ You have no idea how much you've helped me. How can I ever repay you?

Kelsi: _(has a smug look on her face)_ You can be my date to the dance this Friday.

_(At the dance, Ryan and Kelsi walk by Sharpay, who scoffs with a furious, disbelieving look on her face. The scene flashes to her pulling Kelsi into the bathroom angrily, slamming the door behind them)_

Sharpay: What do you think you're doing here with my brother? Or did you forget he has a girlfriend?!

Kelsi: Well it doesn't seem to me like his girlfriend is waking up anytime soon.

**Sharpay: When you trace it back, even my problems with Troy started with her.**

_(Troy and Sharpay are downstairs in the Boltons' living room, both looking outraged)_

Sharpay: Lately you're just so… controlling!

Troy: I'm not controlling! I just want to spend time with you, but we can't do anything without you checking up on your mopey brother every five seconds!

_(Sharpay shakes her head, tears in her eyes, then turns and walks toward the door. Troy chases after her)_

Troy: Sharpay, wait! I'm sorry; I didn't mean it-

Sharpay: No, Troy! You always say that, but something like this always happens again later on! …Well, this time it's different. I refuse to accept your apology.

Troy: Shar…

Sharpay: Don't call me that!

_(Sharpay and Ryan walk into the school with obvious icy, uncaring attitudes toward everyone else)_

**Sharpay: Our hearts have iced over.**

_(Kelsi looks at Ryan apologetically, but takes Jason's hand and walks away from him)_

**Sharpay: They're hard as stones.**

_(Ryan parks in a mall parking lot, gets out of his car, and as he looks toward the building his face immediately looks shocked. At the end of the walkway stands Michael Evans, and he's holding a gun)_

**Sharpay: Will we find trust in others once more?**

_(Troy is sitting next to Gabriella's unconscious body in her hospital bed. A few tears fall down his face as he writes on a piece of paper attached to a clip board)_

**Sharpay: Can the flame melt the coldness in our hearts?**

_(Sharpay clings to Ryan on the floor of a bedroom, crying hysterically)_

**Sharpay: Our story continues on.**

**Flame of my Heart 2: Hearts of Stone**

_(A gunshot sounds)_

**Coming Soon**


End file.
